


Between Two Shores

by dreamingspires



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Crushes, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Forced Bonding, Medical Procedures, Porn with Feelings, Size Kink, Unrequited Love, Virgin Rey (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:40:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 30,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26306482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamingspires/pseuds/dreamingspires
Summary: Omega Rey has been hiding her un-mated status since forever.Kylo Ren knows the risks he is taking being an alpha without a mate, but if he can't have mated omega Rey, he'd rather stay single.Neither one is prepared for the Designation Board to come to the office where they work, mating order in hand.*Completed.  Updates every few days*
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 27
Kudos: 1055





	1. The Designation Board Arrive

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, welcome to this smutty fic, packed with unrequited love (so they think!), dirty thoughts, alpha/omega dynamics, confused Rey and desperate Kylo/Ben.

REY - PRESENT

It was a regular Thursday morning meeting on 1st June.

Poe was presenting their latest project development, with Finn adding commentary where necessary. It looked to be another coup for First Order Security - the first group to uncover a malware Trojan that had been resident on their customers network since the weekend - and a global hunt to find the hackers responsible had finally concluded last night.

Poe had asked Rey to step forward to share with the group the basis of the discovery code she had written. It wasn't easy but she was getting used to being in the spotlight and taking a deep breath, she grabbed the white board pen and started drawing out the code framework she'd used on the large back wall of the boardroom.

The room was largely silent and she described her work, and Rey turned back to the group to see if there were any questions. She tried her hardest to ignore the huge form of Kylo Ren, dressed in his customary black, standing in the far corner. She refused to look in his direction no matter how hard her inner Omega wanted her to, despite the faint but delicious Alpha scent that drifted over from him. There was no point in drawing his attention.

She was peppered with a few questions and compliments from her colleagues, and then Poe stepped forward to thank her and move on with the meeting.

They were just wrapping up when Hux, Kylo's assistant, pushed open the boardroom door hastily and rushed into the room.

His voice was anxious.

'Sir, we tried to stop them in reception, but they have a warrant, so we had no choice but to let them in. They are on their way although we took them to your office to buy some time.."

Hux was almost babbling, and Rey could barely make out what he said. There was a look of panic on his pale face that spoke volumes however.

Kylo Ren had left his quiet corner and had stepped forward to meet him.

"What's going on?" He sounded annoyed, "Who's here?"

"They say they are from the Designation Board. And they have an arrest order for an un-mated Alpha and unclaimed Omega. I image the Alpha is you, so we need to get you out of here."

Hux, with Poe's help, was ushering developers out of the meeting room as he spoke, and the room was nearly empty now, with just Rey and a handful of others, including her friend Finn, still left.

Ren was standing still, as if in shock, as the people swirled around him. Rey glanced at him quickly - his handsome face was pale - and she must look the same - her stomach was roiling in panic at the mention of an 'unclaimed Omega'.

"There's no way they would dare. They can't afford to take on the Resistance with such a public case." he bit out angrily

Hux shrugged his shoulders as Rey watched, but his pale face looked worried.

"Seems like they can and they will." he said, pulling together the stray papers from the deck, "Enough talking Sir, they'll be here any moment, we need to get you down the back stairs before..."

As he finished speaking the elevator doors in the hallway beyond opened, and six dark suited men and women stepped into the corridor before noticing the commotion in the Board Room and hastily making their way over. They were wearing the uniform of the Designation Group, the dark blue and red suits immediately recognisable.

It was too late for any of them to leave.

Rey felt a wave of panic which she tried her best to damp down, and then a wave of fiery anger. There was no doubt in her mind that if they were looking for an unclaimed Omega, it was very likely to be her, and she had absolutely no intention of leaving with them.

One of the women stepped forward into the room. She was tall and imposing, with dark hair and a pointed face.

"I have an order here, signed by Senator Pryde, that requires un-mated Alpha, Ben Solo, to come with us immediately to our Designation Board facility."

She walked a few more steps into the room and stood in front of Kylo Ren.

"Ben Solo. Here is a copy of the order. Please join my colleagues outside so we can escort you to the transportation."

Rey watched as Ren took the paper and scanned it briefly before staring at her, his eyes almost black in his face, and his features fixed with anger.

"And if I don't?"

"It's a court order - if you don't come willingly, I can have you sedated and removed by force." She jerked her head to the waiting group outside, and Rey noticed the tasers held in each of their hands.

Ren seemed to contemplate his options for a moment, and then handed the paper to.Hux.

"Call my lawyer, Amilyn Holdo, and let her know what's happened. Send her this."

With that, Kylo Ren moved towards the door but the woman remained and looked at Rey.

"We are also looking for Rey Niima, unclaimed Omega. Is this she?"

There was absolute silence in the room as they all turned to face Rey. It was her worst fear coming true, and Rey found herself unable to speak, unable to move, except for her eyes, which immediately met Kylo's as he turned towards her, an expression of absolute shock on his face.

"There's been an error in your paperwork. This is my employee Ms Niima, but I can assure you she is not unclaimed." he said angrily, "You need to leave now. I'm coming with you, but you have no right to stay any longer ."

The woman pulled another piece of paper from her briefcase and Rey could see her own face in the black and white photo stapled to the front.. A feeling of horrible inevitability washed over her.

"This is obviously Rey Niima, and this is a government order that she must come with us immediately. If there has been a mistake, which I very much doubt, we can address this with the Designation Board."

The next few seconds passed in a blur. Kylo grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him, until she was pressed up against his side. He barged past everyone, heading for the lift, as Poe held everyone back in the meeting room. They only managed to make it a few steps before one of the other Designation operatives had pulled out his taser and zapped Ren with a shock so hard he fell to his knees with a groan, releasing Rey's arm.

Everyone was shouting, Hux, Poe, Finn, who were rushing towards them both but were too late to stop them being bundled into the elevator, Kylo unable to stand, was being held on both sides by two of the largest operatives, Rey by the two women who twisted her arm behind her back. As they traveled, she watching in horror as another of the guards pulled a small tranquilizer gun from his pocket.

Rey struggled, kicking out and twisting her body, but it was a fruitless fight - they held her tightly and worked with such efficiency, they were able to inject her within seconds, doing the same to Kylo as he sagged in their arms.

In a haze, it seemed to take them only a few minutes to reach the front of the building where her and Kylo were bundled in to two waiting black SUVs, which swiftly pulled away onto the road.

Rey had yelled at them for a good ten minutes as they traveled - they had no right to take her, what had they done to Mr Ren, but they collectively ignored her until Rey felt herself slowly becoming weak and gave up to sit in silence. The black-out windows stopped her from seeing outside so eventually she closed her eyes and tried to meditate, calm her mind and help her thoughts clear.

It was probably two hours later when the cars stopped and the doors opened to what looked like a small office building.

They had arrived.

..........................................................................................

Kylo - 18 months ago

Kylo took another sip of black coffee as he put down the phone at the end on another frustrating conversation with his mother.

Leia always called on Wednesday at 7.30am sharp, knowing that he would be sitting in his office, and not yet have started his meetings for the day. Their conversation was the same as all the others, a cursory 'how are you darling?" when she barely waiting for the answer, and then another ten minutes of her sharing all the latest updates on Alpha and Omega Rights from her lobby group, The Resistance.

Today it seemed that things were taking a turn for the worst - she mentioned the bill they were protesting against that would limit alpha and omega freedom for any un-mated over a certain age. She had sounded a little more angry and concerned than usual but Kylo mostly let her words wash over him. It had always been this way - her care and passion for the Resistance was the most important thing in her life - and from a very young age he had known it.

"I want to see you. Soon. Come for lunch next weekend. Your father may be home - you never know." Leia finished, before blowing him a kiss down the phone and hanging up.

Another sip of his now cooling drink, and he opened his laptop to remind him of the day ahead. His Wednesday mornings were nearly always dedicated to interviews - despite the size of First Order now, he still insisted on meeting all engineering and programming candidates himself as he had done from their earliest days. It had been one of the keys to their success - only ever hiring the best. Poe was in charge for day to day operations, but all final candidates would still be reviewed by him.

Glancing at his diary, it looked like he was due to see three candidates, presuming they made it through the first round interview and written exam.

The first was scheduled for 8am, but never arrived - they must have scored too low on the aptitude test to make it through to him.

8.30am was also a no show. He needed to talk to Poe about their screening techniques if so few were progressing.

He was deep into his emails when his assistant Hux knocked softly on the door and came through, bringing with him a small pile of papers and another hot coffee.

"Your 9am is on her way. Poe wants you to see her asap." Hux dropped the paperwork in front of him on the desk and swiftly left. No small talk, the way he preferred.

Kylo finished writing his email and picked up the test scores. The candidate was listed as Rey Niima. Jakku College. He didn't need to read any further, and buzzed Hux in the next room.

Before he could speak his assistant jumped in.

"Highest score on the aptitude test we've had all year. Probably in the last five years. Maybe higher than yours."

"I don't want to see candidates from third rate community ...."

Hux interrupted again. "Miss Niima is waiting outside. I'm showing her in."

And seconds later Hux did, ushering in Miss Niima who took a seat opposite him across the wide expanse of his desk.

Kylo looked up from his laptop as she sat down. He had a brief image of poorly fitted and creased grey suit, brown hair, lightly freckled face and thin frame, before he turned his attention back to the pieces of paper in front of him.

They sat in silence. Kylo liked to do this to candidates. The ones with low self esteem would always feel compelled to break the silence with some inane story, and the overly arrogant would immediately begin to try and control the interview.

Miss Niima did neither; she sat quietly, composed.

He waited another minute or two before launching in to his standard set of questions on security and programming. Kylo didn't look up from his laptop, taking notes as she answered, whenever she made a particularly strong response.

And she did. Often.

He was surprised at first, shocked even, by how swiftly and comprehensively she answered his series of more and more challenging questions. He reviewed her test scored, dug in to the ones she hadn't scored perfectly on, and she already knew which they were, had already reviewed them in her mind and was making suggestions to correct.

It was astounding.

"Your results - they're high above average - but they don't match your degree. Why did you not invest in a better education - remote learning from Jakku College isn't exactly a world-class education?" He asked.

She seemed ready for this question, drawing slight breath before answering.

"My personal situation didn't allow for me to attend classes in person, so I studied on-line. I'm from Jakku, and they offer a program for people in the community. I took all the extension classes, and graduated in twenty three months with a distinction."

Kylo shook his head and almost laughed as he observed "I wouldn't have bothered. It's almost a worthless degree."

It was perhaps too honest a remark for an interview; he'd likely offended her, but she was still composed, her hands remaining still and clasped in her lap.

"Can I see your transcript?" he asked, wondering what she had been doing for work since graduation.

Miss Niima pulled a few papers from her shabby bag and leaned over the desk to hand them over and as she did, Kylo was able to pick up her scent for the first time. A divine combination of honey, musk and flowers.

Omega.

He jerked his head up to look at her and met her eyes, which he could see now were a soft, golden brown. He had presumed she was Beta. It was illegal to ask these days, but nearly all of their programmers were Beta, with a only a couple of Alphas like himself. No Omegas.

He said the word before he could stop himself. "Omega."

She completely ignored him and carried on.

"Back to my resume - this would be my first full time programming job, but I've had lots of other positions. My previous employers will tell you I'm very hardworking, reliable..."

As she described a series of dead end jobs, he took the opportunity to look at her again, responding to his inner Alpha's demand to examine any Omega he met as a potential mate.

Miss Niima, once you looked past the terrible clothes and severe hairstyle, was quite lovely. Exquisite face, delicate but strong features, eyes that you could drown in, coral lips, slender neck.

Kylo briefly wondered whether he could see a slight redness where her gland would be, just under her wavy hair.

It was impossible for her to work here was the next thought that immediately went through this head, she would haunt his thoughts, and that of every other alpha, day and night.

And his damn Alpha voice was whispering inside his head 'You must keep your Omega away from other men. She's should just be yours..."

He ignored the voice. He had to. This was business, and he was reminded that not only was it illegal to refuse to employ someone because of their designation, she was the strongest candidate he'd seen for years. His business needed her, regardless of his personal response. 

Even so, it was a real concern the disruption cause by having a lovely Omega among the developer team, who were known for their close proximity, long work hours and tight-knit camaraderie, would be a nightmare

"I presumed you were Beta. It's very unusual to see Omegas interviewing for these positions."

They sat in silence for a minute and then Miss Niima took a deep breath before she replied.

"My designation won't affect my ability to do this job."

"Even so, it's mostly male staff in development. That could be a problem. You are very..."

She didn't let him finish his thought before she answered.

"I can do this job. And I know First Order would never make decisions based on designation. It's never been a problem in any other team I've worked in. I've work alongside the lowlifes in a junk yard, I'm sure I can handle your development team."

Still composed, Kylo watched as she searched in her shabby bag for more paper, noticing the blush of color in her cheeks. Miss Niima found what she was looking for, and leaned over once again to hand the paper to him.

"Here is a letter of recommendation from...."

This time he was able to inhale more of her scent, and this time he not only detected her divine Omega odor, but also the unmistakable marker that she was mated, already, to someone else.

He jerked away in reflex as his inner Alpha shouted 'NO' and then reached over to touch her hand, seeking confirmation of her status, pressing his fingers lightly against the gland on her wrist.

Rey had frozen in surprise, looking down at where their hands were joined. It was a shockingly intimate gesture from a near stranger, and Kylo immediately dropped her hand sharply, and stood up from behind his desk.

"Thank you Miss Niima. If you ask my assistant Hux outside, he will arrange for you to be escorted back to the developer's floor."

She was surprised but quickly collected her papers from his desk and left his office.

Kylo watched her slight form shut the door.

He would offer her the job, of course, with a package she couldn't refuse. Miss Niima was one of the strongest candidates they had seen in years, and her skills and aptitude would make a material difference to some critical projects coming up.

Even so, watching her leave, he felt totally bereft, as if all light and warmth left the room with her.


	2. Choosing your mate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kind comments. Next chapter up. I wonder who Rey will have to mate with......?

REY - PRESENT

She was pulled from the SUV and escorted into what looked like a normal office building, except that when you went inside, there was no reception or open foyer, but rather a series of security checks and scanners.

She was hustled through each check-point and then a series of doors until she found herself in a large, cold, lounge. Around the edges were dark red sofas that had seen better days, and in the center a table with two chairs where Rey was told to take a seat by one of the guards.

The tranquilizer they had given her back at the office was slowly wearing off, and Rey had been meditating, taking deep calming breaths to try and keep control of her racing heart. The mother in one of her longer term foster placements had been a firm believer in Thai Chi and had taken a nine year old Rey along to classes. The placement hadn't lasted long, but the meditation skills were still with her today, and she'd needed every ounce of her personal resolve to keep calm and centered and not let herself panic.

She was brought a bottle of water by one of her escorts who took up their post on a side wall of the room.

Rey drank in silence and within a few minutes one of the doors in the room opened and a man in a dark uniform walked through, accompanied by a very tall, blond woman dressed in the white coat of a doctor and another Designation operative.

The older man immediately took a seat at the table, and waved at the operative who handed him a file which he placed on the table in front of them. Rey glanced at his face - it was an ordinary face, nothing remarkable, except for the cold, blue, shark-like eyes that stared at her.

"I'm General Pryde. You have been brought here because, as stated in Statute 3, Addendum B, all Omegas are required to be mated before their twenty fifth birthday, in order to maintain the peaceful operation of our society. You turned twenty five last month, and according to our records, you remain un-mated."

"You have no right to..." Rey started, but the General spoke over her.

"Unless you have proof that you are mated," he said, tapping the file in front of him, "And I have extensive evidence that you are not, save your breath. I'm only here to make sure the order is carried out to my satisfaction."

Rey weighed up her options - it had been all she had thought about during the journey - her choices seemed stark. No friends in high places - she didn't' even know the name of a lawyer - and the Designation Board was known for its ruthless behavior and lack of accountability.

Her only course of action seemed silence - fighting was likely to get her tasered or worse.

"Good. Doctor Phasma, would you confirm for the record that Rey Niima has an intact mating gland?"

She sat still as the doctor walked towards her and lifted her hair from her neck. She ran her fingers lightly over the gland, causing Rey to flinch, and then spoke softly but dispassionately.

"Confirmed. The mating gland is intact."

Pryde pushed the file towards the doctor with a pen, and Rey watched as she signed some form on the front cover.

Then the General turned back to her.

"Good. You have been very irresponsible not securing a mate at your age. Your file here says that you have been masquerading as a mated Omega since you presented using illegal and dangerous suppressants. Normally we would allow some latitude on the timelines, but given the deliberate deception you have shown, I've decided that this will be resolved immediately."

Rey could feel her heart beating so hard in her chest it was painful, and she was cold with shock, fearing whatever he would say next.

"The Designation Board allows Omegas in your situation to make two choices. Either you have a known un-mated Alpha meet you here and we will supervise rut and mating, or an Alpha will be assigned to you for the same purpose. Which do you choose?"

The drugs had made Rey's mouth so dry she could barely speak but she managed to stutter.

"You can't be serious? You can't command me to mate someone, now?"

General Pryde smiled. 

"That's the choice in front of you. You created this problem and the Designation Board is being forced to solve it. You have one minute to give me the name and details of an Alpha otherwise we will presume you'd like us to select your mate for you."

Rey was shaking as she frantically ran through in her head the Alphas she knew that weren't mated. There were one or two in her programming team at work, a man at the gym she went to, the owner of the coffee shop she frequented. She had felt nothing for any of them, and it seemed they had been similarly disinterested in her. The idea of forcing any of them to be her mate against their wishes filled her with sadness.

It wasn't an option.

The only other Alpha she knew that wasn't mated was Kylo Ren and her heart lept stupidly in her chest at the thought of being mated to him. She let herself imagine it - even though he didn't seem to have any interest in her that way, the mating bond would mean that he would at least care for her a little. Her Omega thrilled at the thought of it.

But could she live with herself knowing that she had tied them both together, against his will?A lifetime of knowing that she was not her mate's choice and that underneath their biology was a man who didn't want her.

No. She couldn't do it. Instead she stayed silent.

"Miss Niima, I take it that there are no Alphas that you wish to suggest. In that case, I will leave you in the hands of Dr. Phasma who will ask a few questions. We should be able to select you an Alpha within the hour."

He gave her another sickly smile, clearly enjoying the look of despair on her face. Rey had only hated one person before in her life - her foster carer Plutt - but that familiar pain of anger and hopelessness returned in that moment as she watched him leave the room.

Dr. Phasma took the empty seat at the table. She was statuesque and imposing, but her face was kind.

"I'm sure this has been a difficult day. I just need to ask a few questions to understand your situation so we can better match you with an Alpha."

"That's not what I want." Rey's voice was cold. All emotion seemed to have drained away "I just want to go home. You must see that what you're doing here is very wrong."

The Doctor picked up the file Pryde had left.

"I'm sorry I can't help you but the law is very clear. It's only a few questions."

She pulled a pen from her pocket, and started to write.

The first few questions were confirming information from her health records. Rey nodded silently as they ran through them. They seemed to know everything about her - from her days in foster care to her most recent health check-up.

'And your suppressants. How long have you been taking them for?" Phasma asked.

"Nearly ten years."

"And how often are your heats? Every month? Six months? And when was your last heat?"

Rey could feel herself blush again.

"I haven't had a heat. Not since I presented."

Phasma looked up, surprised, although she quickly covered her response with professional passivity.

"I see. So going back till you were fifteen, no heats in between. That can be dangerous, I'm glad we can get that taken care of."

She made another note in her file. "And sexual health - when was the last time you had a check-up?" She rifled through the pages quickly, "I don't see anything in your records so it must be missing from the file."

"I haven't had a check-up..."

Rey watched for a response, but Phasma kept her face neutral.

"We can take care of that here. When was your last sexual encounter? Should we do a pregnancy screening?"

"I haven't.... I've not had a partner. Ever."

She felt herself blushing and was immediately annoyed with herself for being embarrassed. Her life and her choices were her business, and nothing to be ashamed of.

Phasma made another note on the file; whatever she thought of the news she kept it to herself.

"Thank you Rey. Final question and then we're done - when did you last take your suppressants?"

"Before I went to bed yesterday. I will be needing another dose soon."

The Doctor stood up, gathering her things from the table and nodding to the guard by the door.

"Once your Alpha has been selected, we'll need to make sure Heat and Rut occur and mating is finished, so we'll be withholding your suppressants. Please wait here for a few minutes while we review the information. You should be able to meet your new mate soon."

With that, she left.

.......................................................................................................................

KYLO - PRESENT

He wondered if his shoulder was dislocated. There had been an ominous pop the last time he had struggled with the guards, and the shooting pain in his arm was not going away. It was hard to tell though through the haze of the drug he'd been given.

The doctor had left a few minutes earlier after a cursory discussion about his sexual health. His only answer to her questions had been 'Fuck off' and she'd eventually given up, muttering that it was in his interests to comply and that she'd be back to check on his shoulder.

He liked the silence, it helped him think carefully through his options although each time he did he reached the same conclusion - there was nothing he could do except hope that his lawyer would be able to get a friendly judge to sign an injunction to release him and Rey.

Kylo didn't hold out much hope though. They were using him for publicity, to rile up all their supporters for more legislation to control Alphas and Omegas. His mother had told him enough horror stories of the way the Designation Board operated, and he was convinced they would be taking every precaution to make sure the son of Senator Leia, a world famous activist and thorn in their side, stayed here until he was mated and they could use him as another public example of Designation management.

His mind turned again to Rey, the last time he had seen her had been outside his office, slumped over and help up by the Designation operatives. It sent a chill through him, thinking about where she might be now, and how she might be coping. She was certainly tough, what little he knew of her background and they way she handled herself at First Order confirmed that, but why she had had kept her un-mated status a secret was a mystery.

Perhaps it was all a mistake and they'd let her go? He tried to convince himself that could be true rather than think of her locked up in this building.

It wasn't long before Dr Phasma returned, with the repugnant General Pryde accompanying her. Kylo had seen him on news reports - the new face of the Designation Board who was determined to get Alpha and Omegas 'where they belonged'. And according to Pryde - where they belonged was safely mated, under the watchful eye of the government.

Phasma moved to examine his shoulder. She manipulated it a little, checked for movement, and then pronounced it just a strained tendon that would be fine in a day or so. Before he could protest, she gave him a small injection into the rotator cuff which instantly made the pain recede to nothing.

When she was done, Pryde stepped up to face him.

"Delighted to have you here Ben Solo, son of revered Senator Organa Solo. It's a pleasure to meet you, and to assist." the general said the word with heavy sarcasm, "To assist you on your quest for a mate. I'm delighted to say we've found one - Miss Rey Niima. I imagine your mother had hoped you'd make a more illustrious match, but given the circumstances, our hands were a little tied."

Part of Kylo had suspected the news, but it still came as a shock to hear Rey's name. Whatever mess he was in, he wanted her to be no part of it.

"You can't be serious. You need to let us both go immediately. My lawyer will be here soon, and there's no judge that will let this go ahead."

Pryde smirked, and waved some papers in his hand.

"Your lawyer has certainly tried, but to no avail I'm afraid. Holdo contacted every judge within a hundred miles, but the law is very clear. We have every right to hold you, and every right to release you only when you are both mated. And since you were unable to secure mates for yourselves, the law allows us to make those decisions for you and to ensure it is carried out."

"I won't do it." Kylo said coldly. "Whatever you think, we aren't animals that you can mate on demand. You'll have to let us go eventually."

The General glanced at Phasma.

"Our doctor here tells me that Miss Niima will be in heat within a day, sooner perhaps. And your rut will follow close behind. And from what I know of Alphas and Omegas, you'll find it rather hard to resist each other once your hormones kick-in."

Kylo met his cold stare with one of his own.

"I can assure you that I've been in rut before, and however appealing the Omega, I'm still able to control myself. It's not going to happen."

This made Pryde pause. He seemed to be contemplating his options.

"Your mother is one of the most stubborn women I have ever met, and I expected her son would be the same. So, we have a contingency plan."

The general started walking towards the door, and stopped when he reached the exit.

"You have a choice. Either you mate with Miss Niima, or we will assign another Alpha to her. He will be a complete stranger, and I can't vouch for his character or his kindness, but that is irrelevant. All that matters is that she leaves here in 48 hours mated. We had thought that you would prefer her to be with someone she at least knows, given Dr Phasma tells me she's never been with an Alpha before, but that is up to you."

"The choice is yours - either agree to be her mate, or sit in a cell and rot whilst we give her to someone else. I'll leave you to make your decision."

And with that he left.

...................................................................................................................................

Rey - Present

The next few minutes passed so slowly that Rey wondered whether it was the drugs playing with her mind.

Over and over she went through her options - what she could do, how she could stop this crazy decision. They couldn't possibly expect her to willingly co-operate? To meet a strange Alpha and be mated against her will, today, to fulfill some archaic and backward law?

There was no way she would agree to this madness. She just needed the medication out of her system, and her clear thinking to return, and she'd find a way out of this mess.

General Pryde returned too soon, this time with a group of four Designation Agents flanking him left and right. His face was smug, a cruel glint in his eyes that made Rey shiver.

"Time to go Miss. Niima. You'll be pleased to hear we were able to select an Alpha for you. I believe you know each other - your mate will be Ben Solo."

She was hardly given a moment to process the news, when she was pulled from the chair, two operatives taking her arms, and moved to another room.

Kylo Ren was sitting in the corner, flanked by more operatives, and his eyes met hers. He looked as shocked as she felt, his fists clenched and his face tight.

They pushed her into a nearby chair and stood waiting.

"Can you all just fuck off so we can talk?" Ren asked angrily.

He was met with silence and waited a few moments before taking a deep breath.

"Miss Niima.... Rey.... do you understand what's going on?" he asked her, his voice so quiet she had to lean forward to hear him.

Rey could only nod.

"I want to check - you have a choice to ask for another Alpha - is there someone we can contact, someone you'd rather be with?" he asked her quietly.

This time she shook her head, looking away.

"And if you don't choose someone else, we'll need to mate - they won't let us out until we do - and you understand what that means?"

She found her voice at last.

"Yes. I understand. And I'm sorry that you've been caught up in all of this with me."

Kylo shook his head immediately.

"You're not to blame, and neither am I. The Designation Board are the only ones responsible for this situation. I've tried everything I could think of to get us out of this mess, but I've run out of options. We can't even fight our way out - I can barely move with all the drugs they've given me. We're at a dead end - the only way we are getting out of here is to be mated, and this is your last chance to choose someone else, otherwise you're going to be mated to me."

His words hung heavy in the air between them.

"So. Last chance....Is it me you want?"

She recovered the courage to meet his gaze.

"Yes."


	3. Room for two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut ahead so please take heed. I haven't tagged this 'dubious consent' but be aware that however much they might want each other, they're still here against both their wishes, and under government orders. If that's not your thing, now is the time to bail and find something more to your liking. Thanks for reading this far.

Rey - present

Rey was taken down a long corridor to a door labelled Suite B. Inside was a large, open room, bigger than her apartment back home, with a kitchen, a sofa and a huge bed in the corner covered in blankets and pillows with some carefully folded clothes in a pile. The room was dark, with only one large window, overlooking trees and an open field.

She was left alone, the door locked behind her, so she stood still, surveying the room. The whole situation was surreal, being left in this suite, waiting for her Alpha, with the requirement to mate before the weekend was over.

And on top of everything this would be her first heat. Why had she never learnt more about being an Omega? She felt utterly unprepared for this.

The thought of sitting and waiting for Kylo filled her with panic, so she riffled through the clothes on the bed, found a set of underwear and loose pajama style clothes which might fit, and made her way to the bathroom. She preferred to be dressed again before he came back.

The bathroom was surprisingly luxurious, with a huge shower, and separate tub which could easily fit two. Rey opted for the shower, and was quickly under the hot water, turning the temperature up to almost scalding, washing her hair and body with quick efficiency, until she felt cleansed and a little better. She changed next, putting her wet hair up into three buns across her head. A minute or so later, she heard the sound of the door opening in the main room, and recognised the scent of Kylo immediately. It was getting stronger, and stronger, and more irresistible. He was still angry by the sounds of his voice and the 'Just fuck off now' he growled to whoever was next door. They obviously took the hint; she heard, the door slamming shut again, and then there was only silence.

Much as she wanted to hide in the loo forever, she knew she had to go next door and talk to him. The'd barely spoken through this whole ordeal and whatever was about to happen they had to figure out together.

She walked back into the main room, and found Kylo standing over by the kitchen, his hands gripping the side of the large bar counter.

"Do you want the bad news or the worse news?" he asked, barely looking over at her.

"I'll take the bad news first,"

"Ok. I've done everything I can, made every call, threatened them with lawyers, said I'd go to the press. They don't care. The new senator has a score to settle with my mother, and it looks like we're the pawns in that game. We're not getting out of here until we go along with their demands."

Rey felt her heart sink. It had only been a distant hope, but it had been hope nevertheless, that Kylo with all his connections could get them out of this mess.

"What's the worse news?"

"They think you are twelve hours from heat but I would say it's only a few hours myself. And I'm going in to rut soon too."

"Are you sure?"

"100%. Being around you has triggered it. Apparently we are having a particularly strong reaction to each other." he said, sounding almost sarcastic

"What does that mean?"

Kylo swore again, his hands gripping the counter even tighter.

"Let's cut to the chase. What do you know about all this? About Alpha and Omega and rut and heat?"

"I know that I'm an Omega and you're an Alpha."

"And?"

"And that rut and heat are designed to join us together and make...kids.. I guess."

Kylo shook his head with frustration.

"And you've never been in heat before?" he asked

"No."

"Explain. Quickly, please. I don't understand why an Omega like you is untouched."

He sounded almost angry with her, as if she had done something inexplicable.

"Very long story short, I grew up in the foster system.... It's not the safest place and I presented very young as an Omega. Too young."

There was so much unsaid in those few words. She took a deep breath and continued.

"I had a very kind case worker, Maz, who knew that it would be a disaster if I went through heat in the system. So she arranged for me to have the drugs that those weird groups use to save themselves for marriage or whatever. They're very hard to get, but she found workarounds, and I've been on them ever since. Most people can't tell I'm an Omega, and the few Alphas I came across presume I'm already mated - the drugs mimic the scent."

Kylo looked stunned.

"And what about when you left the system? Went to college?"

"It was just easier to carry on this way. I don't have to think about heats, or Alphas, or mates or anything. I can get on with my work and my life and my friends."

He stepped away from her at this point, walking over to the sofa.

"And do you know anything about the process of mating?"

Rey could feel herself blushing furiously. She had always hated feeling stupid or ignorant, and had dedicated her adult life to excelling in everything she did so she never had to deal with those emotions ever again.

Kylo was making her feel ashamed of her own ignorance, and she could feel anger rising.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing. Didn't think I needed to. Haven't even watched porn." She folded her arms across her chest defensibly. "And honestly, I'm more worried about after the mating. They expect us to come out of this room with a lifetime attachment to each other. And...well it's obvious that is a terrible idea."

"If you'd rather someone else, feel free to go back to that room and pick another alpha." he countered, stepping closer to her, his dark eyes flashing.

Rey felt a shiver run over her at the thought and shook her head.

They stood in silence for a moment, at an impasse, and then Kylo took a deep breath.

"Don't worry about afterwards. My mother's network has a team who can help us, who specialise in reversing a bonding under duress like this."

"I didn't think that was possible?" Rey was shocked - she'd never heard of such a thing.

"It's not something anyone talks about, but it is possible. We just need to go through this two days, persuade them we're mated, and then they'll let us leave. After that, we have 24 hours to get you to my mother's group and they can undo this whole thing."

Rey felt relief streaming through her, the pounding in her heart receding a little. It would be a nightmare, chained to life by her biology to a man who so clearly didn't want her. Who under normal circumstances barely gave her the time of day. She wanted much more for herself than that.

"Back to the heat. Are you saying, you don't know anything about this - what comes next, what you'll do, what I'll do. Everything?" He seemed even more annoyed and frustrated, if that was possible.

"Yep. As I said. So, either you explain it to me, or we can just...."

He pounded the kitchen counter suddenly, swearing loudly again. The noise was so loud in the half empty room Rey jumped with shock and this time, the shock turned to anger.

"You've got to stop that. You're scaring me and I don't like it. Whatever we have to do in here, I don't want to be afraid. So enough." She walked right up to him until she was in his space and could feel the warmth coming off him. His eyes met her, his gaze slowly searching across her face.

"I need you to just be calm." She reached over a grabbed his hand which was still gripping the side of the counter. She laced her small fingers through his large ones. "And since you seem to know a lot more than I do about how this works, I'm trusting you to figure this whole thing out. So please, get a grip and start talking so we can get this done, get out of here and get on with our lives."

His hand flexed in hers and he tried to pull away, but she didn't let go, and held on tighter until he stopped resisting. Kylo moved a foot or so away, as far as the joining of their hands let him.

"Calm isn't how this works. That's the point. It will be frantic and hard and I won't be able to hold back, and neither will you when you are overcome with your heat."

"That doesn't sound too bad..." Rey smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

Kylo turned to face her. He spent a moment looking her over, carefully, slowly, until she felt herself blushing. A small voice in her head whispered 'I hope Alpha likes what he sees' but she quickly silenced it. That wasn't how this would go. He'd made it 100 percent clear that she was not at all the type of woman he would want for his own, and it was only her own dumb biology that was wanting to please him.

He kept looking at her, until a long few minutes had passed, and then he took a deep breath.

"Alright. We should get to know each other a little, before the rut and heat kick in. While we still have a bit of control and I can go slow and you can tell me what you like."

"Works for me." Rey let his hand go and walked over to the bed.

...............................................................................................

Ben - A year ago

After he'd hired her, Ben had barely seen Rey Niima. She was a fleeting figure in the hallway, he'd caught her delicious scent a few times in the elevator, and he'd heard her mesmerizing voice coming from a meeting room, arguing with Finn about some coding decision.

That was a good thing, he told himself. He needed to keep his distance. There was nothing for him with Rey except for reminders that she was mated to someone else.

And he needed those reminders. Every time Poe sang her praises in their management meetings, or he reviewed some of the code she submitted, he was struck by quite how perfect she was.

Perfect for him.

Clever. Determined. And so beautiful it made his heart stop.

But meeting her again in person didn't happen until she'd been with the company for nearly a month. 

He was alone in the small kitchen outside his office. Hux had left early for the day, and he was refilling his coffee cup ready for a late night review of some contracts that needed signing. Kylo was scrutinizing the main terms when he caught her scent.

Just like the first time they'd met, it was a divine combination of musk and sweetness and flowers.

She walked in to the kitchen and stopped in surprise when she saw him, her cheeks blushing a little, her hair loose around her face after a long day.

The thought came to him from his inner Alpha - she looked just like she would in his bed, flushed with desire after he'd made her cum. He growled internally at his inappropriate thoughts, his dumb biology over-riding his professional calm like it always did when she was around.

He gave her a curt nod as she stood expectantly. He reminded himself that he was the CEO, and he'd hired her, so he couldn't just ignore her and leave.

"Miss Niima. I trust everything is going well?"

Rey didn't meet his gaze, but stared fixedly at the coffee machine.

"Yes... thank you. We're using the Board room for a meeting so I thought I'd grab a tea...." she stumbled through her words, and for a moment he wondered if she was as discomposed seeing him as he was her. "We're doing a stand-up on the next code release."

He remembered his earlier meeting with Poe - it was a critical project, and Rey had been asked to lead it for the first time, quite an honor for a new employee, but Poe had been adamant that she was more than up to it.

"Tell me about the project." he asked.

She took a deep breath and launched into a overview of the work - sharing their approach and progress to date. As Poe had said, her command of the subject was outstanding, and they seemed to be making excellent headway against some tight deadlines.

"So, we're set to hit the first milestone tomorrow, once we've finished the stand-up review."

As she said the words, she must have realised that she had been standing in the kitchen too long, and needed to rejoin her colleagues.

There was another awkward silence - he was waiting for him to dismiss her.

"Very good. I'm glad things are working out for you here." Kylo said finally.

This time she did meet his eyes, and she was smiling.

"Yes. Very much. I'm so grateful for the job, and the team is wonderful. Thank you again for the vote of confidence in me."

Kylo finished pouring his coffee and the offered her the kettle. She took it from his hands, and once again the tips of her fingers brushed his, just like they had on the first day they met. And once again Kylo felt that energy of her touch, like a small pulse of lightening where her skin brushed his.

This time she must have felt it too, because she pulled away hastily, almost spilling the hot water over them both.

She mumbled 'Excuse me", quickly putting down the pot on the counter and leaving her cup unfilled on the counter before hastily leaving the kitchen without a backwards glance.

................................................

Rey - Present

She stood by the edge of the bed for an awkward minute or two, watching Kylo as he remained in the kitchen. He seemed to be weighing up his options before slowly walking over to her and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Come here."

It wasn't an Alpha command, but her body reacted like it was, and she had an instant desire to do anything he asked. She joined him, sitting a foot or so away, watching his expression in the evening light.

"Closer."

He reached for her then, wrapping his long arm, and huge hand around her waist, and lifting her until she was almost sprawled across his lap. Her pulse leapt, desire with it, an almost instant response to his proximity that she couldn't control.

His hand moved to the back of her head, and he turned her until she faced him, her lips inches from his, and then he pulled her closer, until their lips met and he was kissing her, softly for a brief few seconds, and then suddenly much harder as her pulse leapt and she let out a little sigh. He was devouring her now, kissing her wetly, hard, his tongue finding the inside of her mouth with indecent haste, holding her close so she couldn't escape.

She didn't want to. Whether it was the early stages of heat, or just that he was doing magic with his lips, her body absolutely required her to lean in, to meet his kiss, to let him taste and open her mouth and let him have her thoroughly. He pulled her even tighter against him, enough so that she could feel the hardness of his cock in his lap, and her breasts were pressed against him.

He pulled back suddenly, widening the gap between them so he could see her face. She bit her lip to stop herself crying out in protest at the loss of his warmth.

"Stand up so I can touch you between your legs."

This time it was definitely an Alpha command. She found herself standing immediately, on trembling legs. Once she had time to process it, she knew she'd be angry that he dared to command her, but now all she could do was obey.

He must have sensed her annoyance.

"Please." he said more gently before he ran his hands over the waist of her pajama bottoms, then pulling them down over her hips and ass until she was bare in front of him.

Embarrassment threatened to cut through desire, until Kylo ran his fingers along her stomach, slowly down, until they found her mound. He pulled her towards him so that he could kiss the bare skin of her stomach while his fingers trailed further, holding her still as he stroked along her lower lips and then inside.

Suddenly she felt him lingering there, caressing her gently, around her clit and then his finger moved further, breaching her and pressing a little ways inside. Another finger joined the first, but he hesitated and didn't go on, leaving the first to press a little deeper.

"You need to let me inside. It will help for later." His voice was husky.

And then he pushed both fingers within her, past the resistance of her flesh, until he was deep, his thumb rolling around her clit with increasing pressure, as he pressed back and forth, finding her wetness within and using it to ease his way, until it was possible for him to slowly slide his fingers back and forth.

Rey's hands had grabbed his shoulder to steady herself as his fingers fucked her. That first push had been uncomfortable, and she had to will herself to let him carry on, his command echoing through her mind. But the more he touched her clit, the more she leaned in to inhale his scent, the more she felt her inner Omega rise up and start to whisper in her mind.

Yes. This. More. The Alpha wants you. Let him have everything he wants.

Ren's other arm was curled round her back, and he pulled her in closer, until she felt his hot breath through the material of her shirt, his breathing deep, almost labored. He pulled her top up just enough to free one breast, and pulled her nipple in to his mouth and began to kiss and suck and lick.

The sensation connected immediately to her groin, and he released her breast abruptly to mutter "You like that don't you? I can feel it here." and his fingers were working harder now, sliding more easily, thumb on the head of her clit, almost painfully pressing, matching the almost pain as his fingers spread and pushed, and dragged against her walls until she was shaking gently.

His mouth found her other breast and he coordinated the licks and kisses with the sensations from his thumb, patiently arousing her, relentlessly touching her. Her mind fleetingly wondered how he could know instinctively how too arouse her so quickly, the touch of his fingers and mouth were turning her on so fast she was disoriented.

The motion of his hand became more intense as she responded, and when her orgasm came, it was a rush of pleasure that was almost too abrupt, her cunt contracting wildly on his fingers, leaving her trembling on wobbly knees until she couldn't stand any more. Kylo pulled his fingers free slowly and helped her lie back on the bed, her pajamas still round her knees.

Rey was dazed, the pounding in her heart like a klaxon, pleasure vibrating through her nerves. She had come so much faster with him than she did on her own.

Reality struck enough that she realized she was naked from the waist down and moved to pull up her trousers but Kylo stilled her hands.

"Don't. We're going to do this again. Still have a few things to figure out."

She closed her eyes, too dazed to argue. It struck her how crazy this situation was. 24 hours ago she had been working on a new security protocol on red team, and Ren had been a distant figure she saw in their weekly stand-up. Now, she was here, lying on this bed, seconds away from having his fingers deep inside her, and his lips roaming her breasts, and coming all over his hand. Hours away from her heat and his rut, where he'd fuck her - God knows what that would be like. And days away from being mated to an alpha, albeit temporarily. She wasn't even sure how that happened - something to do with the gland in her neck perhaps.

And on top of all that, he had seen her at her most vulnerable, and she still had no idea who he really was, or what his life was like, or anything else about him - like why they called him Ben Solo in here, when he had been Kylo Ren at work or why he was unmated, at thirty, when every other Alpha under the sun was coupled up- or who his mysterious mother was, who somehow would be able to reverse this whole thing.

Rey didn't open her eyes, so she felt rather than saw him kneel down next to the bed. She kept her eyes shut as hands grabbed her hips and pulled her to the edge of the bed.

"Can we carry on now?'"

His huge hands were on her thighs, pushing them apart, almost growling as he pushed her pajamas further down, and then suddenly his tongue was there, between her legs, licking her, tasting her, slowly at first, as if he was savoring every second. Her response was immediate, warmth rushed back between her legs, she was wet again instantly, a hot flush across every part of her.

Her eyes flew open, whatever embarrassment she felt quickly overcome by her desire to see what he was doing, to admire the dark waves of his hair as he pleasured her. She thought about stroking his hair, and her hands moved there involuntarily to see if it was as soft as it looked and it was.

He sounded frustrated again, jerking her closer to him, so is tongue could dip just inside her, tasting her more intimately, and then returning to her clit with soft, easy strokes that drove her mad. Rey hadn't been sure if she could come again, so close to last time, but she desire rose involuntarily from his wicked kisses, until she felt her thighs start to shake.

She watched as Ren paused, then looked up from where he knelt, his soft lips wet from her, meeting her gaze. His hand found her again, two fingers stoking the seam between her legs, then opening her to nudge inside once again, moving within her with a smooth push, no pain this time as his wide fingers took her.

"Better now Omega. I want to feel you come again."

His mouth was back on her, licking harder now, as he stroked inside, and she came apart at his command, letting out an involuntary gasp, gripping his fingers so tightly that he stopped moving them.

He left his fingers deep as he moved up her body to find her mouth and kissed her there, so that she could taste her own arousal, his tongue dipping inside her mouth just like he had taken her cunt, his fingers flexing and widening below to capture the last few flutters of her orgasm as he kissed her.

Rey was kissing him back mindlessly, the smell and taste of her mixed with his raw Alpha pheromones was intoxicating, until she was almost breathless.

She felt him flexing his hand, pushing the fingers back in deep, trying to add a third but failing when the tight ring of her entrance stopped him. He broke the kiss, leaning back a little to look down at his hand, pushing back and forth in frustration, the tip of his additional finger insistently pushing, finding the wetness from her body.

After a few seconds, he seemed to give us, his hand leaving her, and moving on to the bed to lie beside her, sighing with frustration.

Her lips and cunt felt strangely empty.

"What's wrong? Have I..." Rey couldn't hide the catch in her voice. Her inner Omega was worried about Alpha being unhappy with her.

Kylo must have heard the stress in her voice and reached over to take her hand.

"Nothing's wrong. That was good Omega. I wanted you a little more prepared, but we'll have to wait until your heat starts for anything more. Relax for now."

He got up, leaving her alone on the bed.

................................................

Ben - Six months ago

After their meeting in the coffee room, he'd avoided being alone with her.

It was too much of a temptation. He needed to think of her as a colleague, just like everyone else who worked at First Order.

And it worked, for the most part.

When he joined stand-up reviews, he made sure that he was at the opposite end of the room from her, so there was no way her scent could reach him through the musky odor of the other alphas and betas in the room. Sometimes he didn't even look at her, just listened to her voice so he could concentrate on her ideas and recommendations rather than her mesmerizing face.

He avoided after work drinks when he know she'd be there - they likely preferred it without him anyway. Poe tried to twist his arm now and again, but after so many flat 'nos' he eventually gave up asking.

Finally, the end of the year came and First Order had a bumper fiscal - the best on record. Rose Tico in HR and Poe were tasked with organising the Company party and they'd put time in his diary to go through the arrangements for Saturday night.

Kylo paid little attention as they ran him through the logistics. The company put a percentage of profits to the party fund, and this year would be a blow out. Rose was eagerly sharing the details of the high end hotel venue they'd secured in down town, how the night would run, and when he would need to give his speech.

"I'm not planning on being there." He told her, sipping his coffee, "I'm sure Snoke would be fine to say a few words."

Rose looked at him with total shock, her kind face pulled into a frown.

"You have to be." she sounded genuinely distressed, "The team will expect it, and if you don't come then it will seem like you don't care."

Kylo shook his head.

"I can guarantee they'll have more fun if I'm not there."

"That's not true. And it simply isn't an option for you not to be there. You need to speak to everyone, let your hair down..." she glanced at him, before blushing and continuing, "metaphorically speaking. Show your human side. It will boost moral and set us up for the year to come."

Poe leapt in to support her.

"And there is no way Snoke can give the speech. He'll just tell us all we should have worked even harder, and to stop drinking and go home."

They argued with him, every objection he raised shot down, and so on Saturday he found himself dressed in a tux, whiskey in hand, having to pretend to enjoy small talk with his employees as he roamed the room, counting down the minutes until he could slip out.

After an hour of 'happy mingling' as Rose had described it, he allowed himself to stand by the bar alone and watch the evening unfold. He had tried his best not to, but his eyes had kept searching for Rey, wondering where she was, reminding himself that he would have to keep his distance.

Poe and Finn joined him eventually, ordering drinks, and bringing him in to their conversation. He had known Poe since his college days, he was employee number five at First Order , and probably the closest thing he had to a friend, so they slipped into an easy conversation.

He was on his third whiskey, his tongue loosened and finally starting to relax and laugh at Finn's jokes, when his Alpha senses went in to over drive.

She was nearby. He could smell her scent almost like a prickling on his skin.

He caught a glance of her dark hair, and then she was there, standing opposite their table.

Kylo looked at her long enough to take in the floor-length, silver sheath dress she wore, and the loose hair around her shoulders, before staring resolutely at the table in front of him.

"There you are. Rose sent me to find you Poe. Apparently you are supposed to be helping pick the raffle prizes in five minutes."

She sounded out of breath and he let himself look at her again. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright.

Poe grumbled about 'duty calls' and hastily finished his glass of wine. He took Finn's hand saying 'You're coming with. I'm not doing this alone.'

Finn protested, saying he hadn't even started on the cocktail that had just arrived, so Poe motioned to Rey to take the drink, saying 'Enjoy'.

Rey stood awkwardly opposite him, and Kylo realised he couldn't just ignore her. That would look even worse than his strange fascination.

He pulled one of the stools out and beckoned to her to sit, pushing the drink across the table. She hesitated before sliding into the seat, and as she did, Kylo allowed himself to examine her, taking his fill. She didn't look like herself at all. Her work uniform was light grey cargo pants and a white t shirt, utilitarian and practical. Tonight she was dressed like a goddess, the metallic dress skimming her figure, hinting at the curves beneath. She had jeweled sandals on her feet and her eyes were smoky and dark. She looked divine.

They sat in silence for a minute before Kylo realised she expected him to make conversation. His tongue was loosened by the whiskey and small talk came easier to him than normal. He found himself asking about her latest project, the highs and lows of development, and she answered stiltedly at first becoming more and more eloquent as they chatted.

When the waitress came to the table, Kylo ordered them both another drink. He knew he shouldn't - the camaraderie was too easy, they were getting on too well, - and he could slip up at any moment and do something he'd regret. Like touch that strand of hair that kept escaping to lie across her cheek, or run his thumb along her wrist to feel the heat there, to stoke her gland.

The drinks arrived, and Rey asked about how he had founded the company so he told her. The story of his lonely college days, spending most of his time either out running or working late into the night on his pet project. About meeting Snoke and leaving school a year early to found the company. About those first few tough years, where they weren't even sure they would survive, despite Snoke's seemingly deep pockets. And how landing that one client had turned the tide, had made their reputation in the industry until they were turning work away rather than struggling to make ends meet.

She listened intently, sipping her drink, asking questions as they went. Rey was so easy to talk to, her found himself sharing things that very few people knew, especially about himself. He knew it was dangerous, to let himself be vulnerable around her. She was too much of a temptation - she was a colleague, and beyond that, she was mated to some other Alpha, another man who held her ever night, and saw her through her heats, and cradled her in bed on cold Sunday mornings while they told each other their deepest secrets.

The jealousy was almost overwhelming, and the desire to lean over and kiss her, pull her into his arms was similarly intense.

He stood up abruptly, leaving the half drunk whiskey on the table, and tried not to look at her confused face as he quickly walked away.


	4. Desperate Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey's heat has arrived....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for all the kind kudos.

Rey - Present

She wasn't sure how long she had been dozing, but Rey woke up to a dark room and the sound of the shower running.

She was lying curled up in a ball on the bed, and as she stretched, trying to wake up, she knew her heat had come. Her body felt on fire, tingling through every part of her, and she ached, waves of dull pounding that started in her womb and moved swiftly to her breasts and her cunt

She reached down instinctively and found herself wet, dampness pooling between her legs, and quickly to her clit, to touch there where she ached. She wasn't sure what she needed, but she slowly turned on her front until she was kneeling, her body moving involuntarily. This position was better, she was more open and she could use her other hand to shove her small finger into her cunt where she let them gently pump in and out, pressing deeper each time.

A little better, but nowhere near enough to calm the waves of painful need. Her body needed more.

She could hear herself moaning, almost sobbing, and then in the background the sound of the shower door closing and quick footsteps behind her. Alpha.

"Help me" she gasped, "I need..." Rey couldn't form any other words, hit by another wave of painful want. She was aware of Kylo reaching for her hand from between her legs, pulling it free and then placing it beside her head.

"Shhhhh..." he was soothing her, "You remember Omega, I'm here to take care of you. I know what you need."

His hands were on her back, stoking, lifting her hips until she was just where he wanted her, and then he was palming her ass, pushing her legs further apart until Rey could feel herself opening to him, as if her cunt knew what came next, and the agony paused for a moment enough for her inner Omega to be satisfied, sighing in her head with relief. He must be naked, and still wet from the shower, she could feel drops of water as he leaned over her.

She wanted to see him and tried to turn her body, but he grasped her hips tighter, fingers gently digging in to keep her still.

Then the feel of him, his cock, was sliding through her slick, back and forth just a little, coating the head, and then, after his fingers had opened her up wide, she could feel the press of him into her, just a gentle push, no where near enough to satisfy the ache that was roaring through her, and her whole body was tensing again ready for another wave of yearning.

"Relax Omega. I need to make this good." His voice sounded as if he was experiencing the same pain - harsh and croaking - and his grip on her hips tightened, pulling her slowly towards him so that his cock pushed further and further inside her resistance until he was deep within her.

It felt so strange and so wonderful in equal amounts. The weight of him inside her, stretching her too much, coupled with the immediate feeling of satisfaction.

"There, that's good, take some more.." he whispered harshly, and her body responded, Rey felt the slick sliding down her thighs as he pushed deeper still, and then stopped when he reached her depths.

They both were motionless, panting in unison and Rey could hear her own moans mixed with Kylo's. It was too much: he must be too big, and too deep but her inner Omega didn't care. Her Omega was thrilled, she could feel the endorphins thrumming through her body, the unexpected rise of an orgasm that made her cunt tighten painfully.

Kylo must have felt it too. He held her hips again, and slowly pulled back, Rey could feel it in every inch of her, and then pushed in deep, back and forth, opening her up more and more until he could move more freely inside her cunt.

"I want to feel you come" he commanded, fucking her in earnest now, as she trembled beneath him, feeling the fluid gushing between her legs with her arousal, helping him take her harder, and with one hand he reached between her legs, and gently stroked her clit.

It was instantly enough to bring her to climax, her body convulsing around the breadth of his cock was almost painful, and her knees collapsed under her, until she was lying on the bed, Kylo still within, braced on his arms above her.

He was kissing her neck, desperately close to her gland, and in a panicked moment Rey wondered if this would be when he'd claim her. She turned her head frantically, and he grunted in annoyance, before rolling them to their sides, his cock still sheathed.

From this position, he pulled her back towards him, until her body was pressed to him, and he ran his hands over her breasts slowly as he pumped within her, and then down her stomach, before holding her free leg and lifting it up till it was pressed to her chest.

"You're perfect Omega. I'm going to come now and you need to take my knot."

He paused again, and Rey realised he was waiting for her to agree.

And she did, she wanted her Alpha, wanted to feel him, feel is knot, feel his seed pumping inside her.

"Yes. Oh, please" she whispered

Rey could feel his knot swelling against her swollen pussy and he pushed her leg a little higher to give him the depth he needed as he tried to push the knot inside. The pain was over quickly, smothered by another rush of her arousal, and he was all the way inside, stretching her around him with an almost unbearable tightness.

She felt him come then, his seed emptying in to her. It should have felt like an invasion, being held so tightly that she couldn't move, while his huge cock pumped her full, but it didn't. It felt incredible, so arousing that another orgasm crashed through her and she shuddered with it, crying out, shaking, contracting and whimpering while he held her still..

"Don't move Omega, we're locked together. I don't want to hurt you." He was pressing small kisses to the back of her neck, then licking her gland to calm her, releasing her leg so he could run his hands over and over her, stoking her breasts, teasing her nipples with gentle tugs, while she felt another gush of his seed. His fingers moved down between her legs, where she was so sore she burned, but he touched her gently, circling softly where she was stretched so tight around his knot, gathering her slick with his fingers, and then spreading it on them both to keep her soft and wet.

She could hear her own little cries.

"I know, I know.." he whispered, "Let me help." and he used her slick to coat her clit, and then tenderly circled the hood until she came again, softly this time, while he gently pumped within her.

Rey felt her eyes shutting as she lay exhausted, and Kylo moved his arm up so she could rest her head against it like a pillow. He kissing her cheek as she fell into a weary sleep.

..................................

She woke a few hours later, Kylo was spooning her from behind, his arms clasped around her, one hand on her breast, the other on the curve of her slightly swollen stomach. His breath was on her neck, his scent in her nose, his warmth seeping into her bones.

Rey breathed in slowly, and wondered how much time she had before her heat overtook her again, making her mindless with longing. They needed to talk, while she was still in her right mind.

She moved in his arms, just pulling away a fraction, and it was enough to wake him. He pulled her back towards him.

"Are you alright?" he whispered against her neck.

"I think so. Can you let me go so we can talk?"

He paused for a few long moments before moving away. She was immediately cold, a shiver running through her.

"How long before I...." she wasn't sure what to call these waves of desire

"Not long. Five or ten minutes? You must eat."

It was another command. Kylo was always commanding her now, and she felt a small part of the old Rey returning, the part of her that wasn't a confused young woman, or terrified of her designation. The part of her that would tell an arrogant man where to go.

"I can take care of myself. Can we talk about what's next instead? I think you said this would last another day or so - how will we know when it's over?"

He looked frustrated with her but answered.

"The frequency will start to slow down, become less extreme, and eventually you'll feel normal again, if a little...."

She didn't let him finish and rolled over to face away from him. She could feel her cheeks flushing bright red at the thought he might be about to mention the state of her cunt. She couldn't even begin to process what they had done together in the wildness of her heat, never mind talk about it, or look him in the eye.

"And when do we finish the mating?"

The words were heavy between them.

"I thought that best at the end - when I'd seen you through your heat, and my rut is over."

"Why then? Why not now?"

Rey could hear his breaths, and he seemed to take an eternity to answer.

"Because I want you to want it."

"And what happens if I don't?"

He reached over, holding her shoulder and rolled her towards him so he could see her face.

"I don't think you have a choice."

The words hung heavy between them.

She could feel her body heating again, time was running out, so she hastily continued. "Why aren't you mated already?"

Kylo ran his fingers through his hair and answered.

"I grew up with two alpha parents. They had a destructive relationship, and I had a pretty messed-up childhood. Designation was a big part of it. My mother was obsessed with it, obsessed with me being the perfect new age Alpha. Obsessed with fighting the system"

It wasn't really an answer.

"So why no Omega?'

He paused even longer.

"I never wanted to be tied to an Omega, to lose myself in all of that. And I guess I never thought I'd meet anyone I could see myself being with. And then when I did finally meet someone - well - I thought I could never have her..."

He stopped again, taking a deep breath, and Rey wanted to ask him to tell her more about the Omega that he'd wanted before her when she was hit with desire, making her arch her spine, and she watched his pupils dilate as he smelled her arousal.

It hit her even harder this time, all she managed to do was groan a husky 'Kylo....", before reaching for him. She took a moment to take him in, all that she had missed when he had been naked from the shower. Rey admired the beauty of his body, the broad shoulders, the wide chest that made her feel so small in contrast, the hard muscles under his skin. He was incredible.

They were facing each other on the bed and Kylo reached down between her legs to stroke her slowly. The sensation turned the painful ache to pleasure instantly as he touched her, lightly.

"We should try and go slow" he murmured, "You'll be sore and..."

Rey's Omega didn't like that suggestion and roared a little within her.

"I need this now." and she found herself reaching out to try and clutch his beautiful cock, that was swelling in front of her, that she'd yearned to touch since they'd walked into that room.

"Not yet." He commanded, his tone enough that she stopped in her tracks. "Watch me."

An Alpha command. She looked down to where he touched her.

"Here, see how pink and swollen and sublime you are. I'm going to do everything you need."

She watched as he caressed her, moving his fingers up and down her slit, barely touching her clit. Rey felt a gush of slick, and he gathered it from her entrance, his fingers shining, and spread it around her pussy.

He reached over to where she lay on her side, pulling her closer still, but leaving enough of a gap so she could see between their bodies, where his cock was huge, nearly touching her.

Kylo kept gently stroking, then she watched as he pushed his thick fingers through her lower lips, just into her cunt,

"See. Perfect Omega, getting ready for me. A little more..." and this time when more slick came he gathered it with his fingers and rubbed some along his cock until he, too, was wet from her, dripping.

The sight of him was mesmerizing, his handsome face flush with arousal, his heavily muscled body inches from her, his, shoulder clenching as he stroked himself, his cock growing as she watched him slowly pump the glistening shaft. She was moaning again, her pelvis gently moving, unconsciously begging him to take her.

"Please Alpha. I'm ready... please take me...I want you"

He met her gaze, a look of surprise on his face, and then he reached for her hips, jerking her towards him until his cock was lined up with her entrance.

"Watch Omega, and tell me if I need to stop." Another command.

She did watch, captivated, as he used his fingers to open her up, and his other hand to lift her leg until it was across his hip. She was so wet, she could see her own arousal dripping from her cunt, and he was able to push inside, slowly easing into her tightness as she watch his thick cock disappearing into her body.

He was watching where they were joined too, his eyes flicking between them and back to her face, checking her expression before continuing.

He was right, she was sore, and like last time her body was barely able to take him, but it felt right too, it was exactly what her Omega needed. Just the feel of him deep within her, the push of his flesh against her walls, was so arousing that it set off the chain reaction of her climax. Her nipples peaked, her cheeks flushed, she looked down and couldn't stop watching the sight of him fucking her, his thickness pumping deeper and deeper, opening her up, stretching her inside until she was taking him all, except the knot she could see swelling at the base.

She couldn't look away, transfixed by the sight of him fucking her, the look of arousal on his face, the breadth of his cock as it took her so deep. She came them, white flashes in her mind, jerking her hips as she did, and they both cried out at the feel of her contracting walls on his cock.

He rolled them over, till she was on her back, and she kept watching as he pulled nearly all the way out, his knot huge. He pulled her leg from around his hip, pressing her knee up until it rested against her chest, and then the other, until she was spread so wide she could feel herself opening just a little further.

He grabbed her hand, placing it behind her knee, and she knew he wanted her to hold herself open. She did, pulling up her other leg too, hooking her hands behind her knees, not caring that he could see everything, pulling back to help him take her.

"Alpha, please." Rey nearly cried the words, wanting him insider her again. Needing the feeling of them being joined completely.

They both stopped breathing for a moment to watch his knot finally push all the way in, and Kylo moaned as he came immediately , spurting inside her. It made her come again too, like last time, just the feel of his seed coating her was enough to push her over the edge.

Kylo braced himself above her for another minute, his broad chest rumbling as he continued to come.

"Relax now Omega" he spoke into her ear, licking her neck, and Rey let her shaking legs go. He held her close, and rolled them slowly until he was on his back and she lay across his wide chest, her cheek resting on his shoulder.

They lay quietly, Kylo stroking her hair as every minute or so she could feel another spurt of come, until she was so full she felt it in her belly. He reached between them and stoked her, using the slick and his seed that seeped out from where they were joined to swirl around her clit and then becoming more insistent until she came around his cock with a small cry.

"You've done so well Omega."

"You've learnt how to take your Alpha and when my rut comes you'll be all ready for me."


	5. Wanting what you can't have

Rey - Present

She didn't sleep this time. just lay there on the bed watching Ren's chest rise and fall. He was dozing, She took a moment to take him in, the beauty of his body, the broad shoulders, the wide chest that made her feel so small in contrast, those beautiful muscled arms that she'd noticed on her first day. The trail of hair that started on his hard stomach and then down to his cock, and then her gaze went further, to his hard thighs and long legs.

An alpha incarnate.

She'd never been close to a man, never let herself imagine what it would be like to be so joined, to let him enjoy every part of her, and to do the same to him. To be mindless with need, willing to let all her inhibitions go, to truly embrace her omega self.

And it had been wonderful but dangerous too. She could feel it in her traitor's heart. Letting herself imagine that this was real. That Ren cared for her, would look after her, love her even, although that was the most ridiculous fantasy of all. He couldn't have made it clearer that she was not someone who he would ever be interested in, would want to fuck, hold, make a life with, outside of this crazy situation they found themselves in.

Rey shut her eyes, feeling the tears well up and wishing them away immediately. She must have made a slight sound as Ren rolled to his side and then reached for her, pulling her towards him until she was in his arms, and then he let out a sigh before falling back to sleep.

They lay together for another ten minutes or so before Rey pulled away. She needed to shower, gain her sanity and control before her next intense wave of heat. As she moved, Kylo came fully awake, his hands holding on to her.

"Where are you going?" his voice was hoarse

"I need to wash, I'm covered...." she pulled back against his hold.

"Don't. This is how you should be." his hands were running over her slowly, across the peaks of her breast, along her waist, then down to into the sticky mess between her thighs where his fingers stroked her slowly. "This is how I want you, covered in your come, my come, wet for me, ready for me, so I can take you again." and he was pushing his fingers into her, using the liquid left from their last round of fucking to ease his way. "See. This is perfect."

Rey felt his fingers move inside her, feeling her own arousal come immediately like a switch had been turned on. She had to stop him, needed to think for a moment, so she reached down to grab his wrist. He immediately stilled, and Rey watched the emotions flicker across his face, watched the Alpha instinct to dominate and his rising desire war with his concern.

"Rey, what's going on?" as he spoke he slowly pulled his fingers free and rolled on to his back. "You're still in heat, I'm nearly in rut. We need to just let this happen until it's over."

She couldn't answer, and instead moved quickly off the bed and walked to the shower, glancing back at him but he was looking straight up at the ceiling rather than at her. Rey closed the bathroom door behind her and took a couple of deep breaths, before turning on the shower. She didn't wait for the water to heat up, and instead stepped straight in, letting the cold liquid wash over her, dull down the pulsing omega desire that was still thrumming through her. She washed her hair, then her body, taking her time to soap herself until she couldn't smell his glorious alpha scent anywhere. It helped her, helped damp down her emotions until she could think clearly.

It was an impossible situation. Every moment she spent with him was just pulling her in deeper, making her want him more, making her imagine the two of them, when this was all over, holding hands over dinner, making love in her tiny apartment, him helping her through her heats, coming home from work and talking through her programming code over a glass of wine until he couldn't keep his hands off her and they made love again. All perfect, and all a stupid dream.

He was right - there wasn't any point in fighting it, or worrying about the future, or all the things she couldn't have. This was about today, about finding pleasure, and about satisfying the Designation Board so she could get on with her life, just like before.

The shower was warm now, so Rey enjoyed a moment under the steam, soaping up between her legs, feeling the now familiar drum beat of her heat kick into gear with its desperate need for Kylo, for her alpha, for his cock deep inside her. Whatever the future held, she knew that this was not a part of her nature she would deny ever again, and she let her fingers play near her entrance, feeling the slick start to flow, her nipples peaking.

Opening the shower door again, she hoped Ren was awake.

He was. Ren was standing next to the dining table, facing the shower room, waiting for her, and with a gulp she saw that he was holding his cock in one hand, slowly stroking it's length. He must be in rut now, her mind processed,

He didn't move, just stood still as she slowly walked towards him, his eyes taking in every inch of her body and then his gaze locked with hers as she closed the last few steps between them.

His skin was glistening with sweat, his chest heaving, his cock seemed to be alive in his grip, and Rey didn't think she'd ever seen something as erotic, dangerous or beautiful.

As she closed the last few feet between them, he let out a low growl and pulled her towards him until she was pressed against his body He kissed her sloppily, his tongue pushing between her lips, and his hands went down to her butt, squeezing her flesh before pulling her even closer to him with a frustrated snarl.

Then he turned her round until she faced the table where he'd placed a pillow, and taking her hands, pulled her arms out in front of her until they rested on the wooden surface. Kylo crowded between her thighs, using his hips to push her legs apart until she was splayed wide and could feel the air between her legs. Then his hands were on her hips, lifting her, adjusting her, his grip so tight it would leave marks tomorrow, until she was pressed into the pillow at exactly the angle he wanted.

Rey could feel her slick coming in earnest now, dripping down her thighs, so turned on by the position, by the feeling of vulnerability and surrender. She could hear his ragged breaths and the flex of his fingers on her hips, but he was waiting. It took her a few moments to realise that he was waiting for her to say yes, and she desperately nodded her head and let out a garbled 'please'.

His hands left her hips, and his fingers moved down to her slit, running along her lower lips before holding her open.

"You're wet for me. I can see it here" Kylo panted, and she felt his cock find her and press inside, not slowly this time, but in a brutal, deep slide that made her cry out and twitch her hips in protest and need together.

He held her still, pausing, pulling back a little to release the pressure, before he buried himself inside her again. He fucked her steadily now, back, forth, increasing the depth with each motion. Her orgasm was close and she tried to reach between her legs for that little additional pressure on her clit that would send her over the edge.

"Don't. Please.' his voice was ragged, his hand finding hers to stop her. "You'll get too tight and I won't be able to knot you."

He thrust again, she felt his sweat dripping onto her back.

"I'll make you feel good, I promise sweetheart. Just wait a little.." he groaned and lent down to lick along the gland in her neck to calm her.

He lifted her hips, changing the angle for a little extra depth and she felt a pressure inside her in a new place, pushing against a spot that made her shiver and tighten further. She stood up on her tiptoes to help him take her, feeling him moving relentlessly inside her, until she heard herself crying out.

That seemed to be all he needed. One last deep thrust and then she felt his knot at her cunt and they both moaned as he took her, her body opening, slick easing his way as he slid that last inch inside and they were locked together.

Slowly he pulled her up, gently holding her until there was no space between them, and his fingers found her clit at last so he could touch her there. She was so turned on that the climax was immediate, her whole body shuddering as she contracted around him.

He held her tight, pulsing his come into her, licking her gland, holding her breasts. It wasn't comfortable for either of them, but the hormones pulsing through made it bearable.

After a few minutes, he slowly let her slide back until her body was resting on the table again and he stood behind her, hands roaming along her back as he kept pumping his seed inside her, occasionally adjusting them both to push a little deeper within her, testing the knot to make sure they were locked in place.

"Thank you." she heard him say. "I'm sorry if that was too much. When I'm in rut, it's harder to control myself." his hands were playing on her flesh "but you were so beautiful, and ready for me, and I needed to have you."

Rey took a deep breath, not sure what to say.

"I'll be better next time, slower, " he seemed to be half talking to himself "and I'll let you come sooner, I promise. It's just - you get so tight before you come - and then you're even tighter after - and you're not yet opened up all the way for me so I needed you to wait..." his lips were on her gland again.."but it was still ok, wasn't it Omega?"

He was breathing slowly, his lips whispering on her neck, waiting for her reply. There had been a urgent edge to that last question.

"Rey, answer me, please." he said, kissing her shoulder, "Was it ok?"

"Yes, Kylo.."

"Ben, call me Ben."

"Yes... Ben."

Ben - present

Hearing her say his name, his true name, felt like a relief, an acknowledgement that she saw him as someone other than her asshole boss. Ben wanted to hear it again and had to stop himself from asking her.

They were still locked together, although he could feel his knot was nearly small enough that they could pull apart.

He didn't want to though. He wanted to stay here, like this, with his hands roaming her beautiful back, feeling every small muscle and nub of bone, rubbing and soothing her. He wanted to pull her up again so he could run his fingers along her breasts, tease her exquisite nipples until they were hard in his hands. And finally make her come again, feel the tight contractions around his cock, as she cried out.

Instead he gradually released her, moving his hand between her legs to help guide his cock free, as gently as he could, and feel the rush of his cum, and hers, as he pulled away, her swollen pussy gleaming with liquid.

Ben watched as she slowly stood up straight, but her legs would barely hold her up, and he quickly had to move back to help her.

He lifted her up until he could carry her in his arms, and took her over to the sofa, placing her gently on the cushions and grabbing a blanket from the bed to wrap around her.

"You need to eat. Stay here and I'll fix you something."

The kitchen was very well supplied, and Ben hastily pulled together a plate of fruit and cheese, before make a plain omelette for them both and grabbing two glasses of juice.

Rey sat still where he'd left her, but he could see her brown eyes watching him as he worked, tracking him as he moved about the apartment and across the room to bring the tray of food.

She was still a beautiful enigma to him.

They ate in silence, and Ben watched in relief as her color returned to her face.

"Heat and Rut can be exhausting. I should have made sure we ate. I'm sorry Omega." he said softly.

He looked at her intently, a thousand questions flooding in to his mind - all the things about her life before they met that he didn't know. She was so secretive, he wasn't sure how she would respond if he asked. He was about to dive in when she spoke.

"Thank you - for the food - and I guess the other stuff too. Helping me, making it ok..."

The 'ok' stung, more than he would have expected. Another reinforcement of her indifference to him. He tried to keep the hurt from his voice when he replied.

"Anytime. And i'm sorry it was just 'ok'." he knew he failed to sound neutral; Rey must have picked up on his tone.

"I didn't mean it that way. I meant....this whole thing - it would have been unbearable with another Alpha. Going through my first heat with them, being forced to be their mate, and everything else. Being trapped. You've no idea how much I need to feel free."

"No, I don't. But I want to know. Tell me."

She hesitated and then seemed to decide to continue.

"I've been alone for - well always I guess. My parents left me when I was very young in Jakku and I was put in the care system. You learn pretty quickly to fend for yourself - there really isn't anyone you can trust so I decided it was best to rely on me. And now, it feels easier that way. Putting yourself in the hands of others - in my experience - doesn't seem to end well."

"What about Finn? You seem to have a great friendship?" Ben tried not to let his jealousy show.

"Finn - he's the best - we met at college - I think he recognised himself in me a little - he has his own messed up shit to deal with - and he knows to let me just be me."

Rey was smiling now and continued "And Poe too is a friend I suppose. He helped me so much when I came to First Order.."

"When you had to deal with that asshole CEO Kylo Ren" Ben supplied, teasing her but also worried about her response.

"Yeh. Kylo Ren." She turned a little closer towards him. "What's that about? Kylo and Ben Solo. Why did you give up your family name and start up First Order under an alias?"

Ben took a deep breath.

"I needed to leave my past behind. I'm not saying I had a bad childhood - nothing like yours - but my parents were pretty fucked up in their own way. My mother was obsessed with her mission to free us all from our designation. and my father - well he was away more than he was home. Between the two of them I was an afterthought. I think I spent my whole teenager years and twenties angry - it's only recently that I've come to understand they did their best. That's what expensive therapy gets you."

He smiled at her - and she smiled back at him, a faint blush on her cheeks.

"So when I decided to start my own company, it seemed right to make a fresh start. Not be an Organa-Solo any more, Kylo Ren was my old gaming handle. I probably should have chosen something a bit more boring in hindsight given the ridicule from Poe and Hux, but I'm used to it now."

"Can I ask you another question?" The blush was now totally across Rey's cheeks.

Ben nodded, wondering what she had on her mind.

"How does Rut work? They never explained it to me - is it the same as my heat.?

"Mostly. The only difference is Heat comes in waves, I think to give the Omega time to recover and assist conception. Rut is just one long desire to fuck your Omega, no stopping required."

He watched as her gaze flicked down to his crotch, taking in quickly the obvious erection he had. Her face was crimson now.

"So, you're ready all the time?"

"Yep. One long hard-on.." he tried to keep the tone light, not to scare her off or disrupt these last few minutes of unexpected intimacy.

She was still smiling, but he noticed she was also shaking a little too. He lent over and pulled the blanket more firmly around her, trying not to inhale too obviously, but still wanting to take in her gorgeous scent. Rey was naked under there, he could see her nipples peaked through the soft material, and his desire beat inside him like a drum. Would she be ready again soon? Was he a monster for wanting to have her again so quickly after the last time, knowing that she was exhausted?

Rey must have noticed the change in his expression because she moved towards him on the sofa, letting the blanket slip from her shoulders until she was naked and only inches away. He could smell her arousal but he sat still, letting her make the moves, until she started to kiss him.

She took her time, nibbling, sucking, moving her perfect mouth over his and then pulled back.

"Can I touch you?" Rey asked, her hand resting hesitantly on his shoulder.

"Be my guest." the idea that he could refuse her anything made him smile. He'd imagined her hands roaming his body countless times.

She ran her hands down his chest, across his pecs, slowly along his stomach, tracing the muscles she found there, and he watched as she bit her lip, before looking up at him.

"And here?" she asked, her small hand inches from his cock.

He nodded, tensing with anticipation, as her fingers found him, touching him lightly at first.

"What do I do?"

"You can do anything Rey."

"But what do you like? I don't know how best to..."

He cut her off by kissing her, lightly this time, and he took her hand in his and showed her how to touch him, running her fingers up and down, grasping his cock, squeezing him with the perfect pressure until he was so hard it was painful.

His knot just starting to swell at the base and Ben closed his eyes for a moment. He felt her moving off the sofa to kneel next to him, then her breath on the tip of his cock, her lips slowly closing around him until he was enveloped in the warmth of her wet mouth.

It was an incredible feeling and he let out a strangled groan.

"Rey, if you do that I'll come, and if I come I won't be able to fuck you straight away." It was agony to think of stopping, now that she had taken him in further into her mouth, holding the shaft in her hands as she licked and sucked in rhythm. He opened his eyes and looked down; the sight of her red mouth stretched so wide around him, clumsily trying to take too much of him at once, was such a turn on that he knew he wouldn't last longer than a few more moments.

He pulled her hands down so that they were tight around his knot, barely able to encircle him as he swelled. Rey kept increasing the pressure, stroking him with the perfect touch that he exploded into her mouth with an almost agonized spasm. Ben helped steady her head as she jerked in surprise, before gently encouraging her to let him go.

Her lips left him reluctantly, and Ben grabbed the edge of the blanket to pull over his cock. It would be minutes before he would stop coming, even though he wasn't inside an Omega.

She carried on kneeling, looking at him, her amber eyes locked on his. Ben could sense it immediately, the look of desperation and desire on her face as the forces of her biology kicked into gear. Her nipples were dark pink, erect on the tips of her small breasts, and she was rubbing her thighs together slowly in an unconscious motion.

He carried her to the bed, ignoring the seed that still pumped from his cock, and laid her on her back before running his hands along her thighs and parting them. Rey arched her hips, helping him gain access to her cunt, and he put his lips to her clit, kissing lightly before stroking her gently with his tongue, dipping it just inside to taste her sweet and salty liquid.

Rey moaned in desperation and he could just about hear her whispering 'Take me, please'

"Soon, I promise, a few minutes..."

She twitched her hips again, and grabbed his hair in annoyance, growling "Ben. Please. I need something inside me"

He moved his hand and his two fingers slipped easily inside her, fucking her gently, drawing them along the walls of her cunt slowly, while his tongue continued to tease and lick her.

She moaned again so Ben added another finger, pushing all three deep inside and then widening them a little.

He could feel Rey's slick covering his fingers, and he stopped licking her clit for a moment to watch them glisten as they pushed in and out of her tightness, working her in a slow rhythm until he could feel her relaxing on his hand.

"You're doing so well, Omega, letting me stretch you out. I'll fuck you soon and you'll be able to take me nice and deep."

There was another gush of slick at the praise, and he bent back to her clit, sucking and licking again until he felt the almost painful tightness of her cunt around his hand as he kept spreading his fingers, testing the limits of her pussy. A few more gently nuzzles and she came, and he watched her, noticing for the first time the flush that started with the peaks of her breasts and flared up to her cheeks. Her thighs were tight, lifting her bottom from the bed as another spasm ran through her.

She was so beautiful and for a moment he imagined her as his Omega, claimed, waiting for him every night, just like this, spread and wet and eager for her Alpha.

"Ben, please, it's not enough. I need you inside me..." She was gasping now, her eyes wet.

His cock was finally ready, his Rut making his recovery almost immediate, and he shoved his body between hers legs, lifting her hips with his hands and sliding deep inside. Rey cried out 'yes' as he found her depths, and then he started to move, driving into her over and over again.

It was easier now, easier to open her up and use all of her, still agonisingly tight, but he could push through the resistance to give her what she wanted, taking her hard and deep with relentless strokes.

He knew she needed, making sure his pelvis touched her clit enough with each stroke to bring her to climax and she came again, sobbing, laying still beneath him with exhaustion as he took his last few thrusts inside her quaking body.

They both cried out as his knot pushed inside, and Ben pulled them over, until they lay facing each other on the bed. Ben pulled her leg up so that he could stay buried in her. Rey's eyes had fluttered shut so he just lay still, filling her up with his come as she rested, feeling each pulse of his cock inside her as he stroked her hair.

Why could he not have what he so desperately wanted?


	6. Nearly There

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kudos and comments. My first fic so I'm very grateful.
> 
> Please mind the tags in this chapter - there's a bit of medical stuff going on so skip the first half if you want to avoid.
> 
> I'm about to post a new fic - not A/B/O this time - so please check that out if you are enjoying this little story.

REY

Ben was still buried inside her, his arms wrapped around her when Rey woke up to a knocking on the door. Dr. Phasma came into the apartment, followed by a small contingent of medical students. She switched the lights on and Rey notice she had the good grace to blush as she saw them both entwined on the bed.

Ben came awake with a jerk, tightening his hold on her, before realising that they weren't alone and pulled a blanket more tightly over the both, and gently sliding his cock free from her body.

"Fuck off." he snarled angrily, sitting up, "Whatever you are here for you can forget it."

Dr Phasma took a step towards the bed until the sound of Ben's low growl made her stop in her tracks.

"I'm sorry to invade your privacy. We need to check that everything is going according to plan for the report back to the Designation Board. It will only take a few minutes - we just need to confirm the state of Miss Niima's heat and that mating has happened.

Rey watched as Ben stood up from the bed, uncaring about his nakedness, and walked towards Phasma until he was standing only a few inches away from her.

"You're not touching her, ever again. You can see that we've been together, and Rey's Heat is well advanced. Write that in your fucking notes and leave us alone." 

Phasma paused for a moment before pulling a small specimen jar from her pocket.

"I understand. I just need to take this sample and see Miss Niima's gland and we'll be on our way. It's a legal process and ..." 

Ben's voice was cold with anger.

"None of you are laying a hand on her. Last time you drugged me, but I'm wide awake now and you don't want to see what will happen if you try and touch either of us."

Rey could feel the tension in the room growing, and watched as Phasma glanced behind her to where a group of guards were standing outside the door, batons in hand. She could smell Ben's Alpha rage rising and this was going to get very ugly, very quickly if she didn't intervene.

Pulling the blanket around her, she rose up from the bed and came up to Ben until she was standing behind him, her hand resting on the gland in the center of his back to calm him.

"Alpha, how about you take the sample and they'll leave us alone. My heat is coming again and I need you..." she whispered.

Ben turned half towards her, enough that she could reach the side of his face. Her touch seemed to sooth him. "I don't mind, you can help me, and then they'll go and leave us alone again..." she carried on.

Rey waited for a moment before holding out her hand to Phasma and taking the small bottle and long swab from her hands before joining Ben.

"Leave us alone for a few minutes and you'll have what you need." Rey snapped at them.

She held her breath as Phasma weighed up her options. After what seemed like an eternity, the doctor nodded to her team and they left.

Rey threw a t-shirt on, and handed one to Ben with a pair of shorts from the pile of clothes left for them, and lay down on the bed, her knees up and her feet turned out.

"Can you help me? I want this done and them gone." she muttered, holding out the swab to Ben after he was dressed.

He seemed mesmerized and she was conscious that he could see every part of her displayed as she lay there. She tried not to think about it, but couldn't ignore the outline of his cock through the shorts. He was turned on by the sight of her, she thought, and her Omega purred with happiness.

He moved to the end of the bed, and kept staring at her.

"Alpha, please, help me." she motioned with the swab again. The use of Alpha seemed to wake him from his reverie and this time he took it from her hands.

Rey knew her slick had started to flow again, could feel the liquid seeping from her pussy. Ben's fingers found her, slowly stroking along her seam, playing in the wetness he found there.

"Christ Rey, you're so pretty spread like this. Can I fuck you again?"

She took a shallow breath,

"Not yet, we need to get rid of Phasma, Please Ben, just do the sample, and then you can have me again, any way you like..."

Her hand reached between her legs to spread the lips apart, and she knew he could see every part of her but was helpless to care.

He took a deep breath before taking the swab and pressed it deep inside her, and swirling it gently against her cervix. When he was done, he slowly removed it, pushed it inside the sample bottle and pulled the blanket to cover her.

Ben went to door, opened it and then handed the sample to Phasma

"Five minutes." she said curtly and Ben waited by the door, not looking at Rey.

When she returned, the Doctor looked relieved. "We have what we need, evidence of consummation.. It seems that Miss Niima's heat will be over in a few hours, so we'll return then and you'll both be free to go, as long as you can show us that you are mated."

When she had gone, Rey watched Ben strip off his clothes, pulling his shirt over his head, and then his shorts down, letting his cock spring free as he did so.

He was breathtaking, Rey thought as he walked towards her, only a few more hours with him until they were free. She should feel thrilled at being released from the facility, so why did she feel so sad all of a sudden? She didn't have time to think about it, her Omega desires were ramping up again, and she sat up a little to meet him.

"Stay where you are. Just like that." he ordered, and she willingly did, "You're so perfect, spread for me, wet and waiting." He was kneeling on the bed next to her, his mouth all over her body, licking, tasting, before kissing down her stomach to the lips of her cunt, then finding her clit with his tongue and gently sucking and playing with her.

Her orgasm was characteristically quick, just like all of them had been during her heat, and she felt the strong contractions tear through her empty cunt with a rush.

Lovely, but not enough.

Ben seemed to know, as he moved closer to her, running his hands along her thighs before lifting them up and over to rest her legs on his shoulders.

He watched her face as he lifted her legs, then took his cock in his hand and slowly fed it into her pussy, taking advantage of her position to take his time, he seemed to be scanning her face as she felt herself flushing with pleasure at his touch. Rey lay back and let him, relaxing into the sensations, her breath hitching with each inch of progress he made inside her.

"Christ Rey." he was panting now at the effort of moving so gradually, "You're doing so well sweetheart, look at you how good you take me now.: His hands moved to her legs, pushing them closer together, lifting her legs off his shoulders until they were straight up in the air, the change in position made her channel so tight around him she could barely breath as he pushed all the way inside.

They were both still, panting, savouring the feeling of his cock inside her, of the tightness of her slick channel, pulsing in time with her heart, and then Ben started to move, fucking her over and over, each thrust lifting her a little. Rey could hear herself letting out little cries as he did, turning into whispered 'please, please, please' as her orgasm fluttered within her.

"Touch yourself, Omega" he instructed, and he lent back a little to give her space.

Her fingers went straight to her clit and with one, hard, rub she came, jerking with the force of it, both of them crying out at the sharp pulses inside her that squeezed his cock almost painfully. Ben came too, his knot still outside her, Rey could feel its width just outside her pussy lips, his seed coating her insides.

"I need to knot you Omega, can I? One last time? " he asked, his voice hoarse, and Rey could only nod. She felt him grab her hips, his thumbs digging gently into her bones, and he lifted her up and pulled towards him, her hole widening impossibly over his knot. It was more painful than last time but she wanted it still, feeling the rightness of it when he was finally seated deep inside her.

The pulses came, and he gently pulled her legs over his shoulder again so she could relax as he filled her. The look he gave her was so intense and intimate, Rey wanted to look away in embarrassment, but she made herself keep his eye contact. This would be their last time together, she realised, and her throat closed up a little with unshed tears.

They stayed like that for minutes, watching each other, Rey feeling herself being filled once again until she was swollen and exhausted.

He must have seen it in her eyes, as he took his hand from her calf and touched her face, moving the hair away from her cheek and gently stroking along to her jaw and back again.

"You've done so well Rey, it's nearly over sweetheart. Once we can move, I'll turn you over and complete the mating, and I'll be as gentle as I can." he kept stroking her face, "and we can leave. They can never touch you again."

Rey could feel the tears running down her face now at his words. How to explain to him how she felt? It was impossible. He would never understand what it was like to be shown a whole other world that she didn't know existed. A world of intimacy, passion, pleasure, and belonging. And to see this whole other side of Ben, to want him more than ever and to be about to lose it all.

He was wiping her tears away with his fingers, a look of concern across his face.

"Are you ok? Am I hurting you?" his voice was filled with compassion.

"No, I'm fine." Rey forced herself to smile weakly, "It's just been...a lot... you can finish whenever you're ready."

He hesitated for a moment, before slowly pulling free from her in a gush of liquid and gently lowering her legs down until she was flat on the bed. He rolled her over slowly, his hands running up her back, before moving her hair away from her neck and gently kissing her gland. His touch made her arch her back in pleasure as he gently nuzzled and licked the sweet spot. It made her clench inside. He lifted her hips and once again slid his softening cock into her body, pressing deep into her with a sigh.

Then his teeth bit down, sending a jolt like electricity through her, running from the gland, across her breasts and down to her cunt where he throbbed inside her.

They were mated.

................................................................................

Rey had dozed off again, and woke up to Ben, dressed now, talking to someone by the door. She sat up in bed, pulling the sheet up to cover her breasts, and she felt different. The pulse of desperation had left and she realised her heat had subsided.

Ben finished speaking and turned back to the room.

"I've let them know we're mated. They're just checking protocol, but we should be able to leave in the next few hours."

His eyes didn't meet her as he shared the news, his voice was flat, cold even.

She felt the pulse in her mating gland at his presence, and self-consciously ran her fingers along her scalp to find it. It was slightly sore and raised and she knew instinctively that if her Alpha kissed it, the irritation would fade away immediately.

Rey thought about asking him, but was too shy. She had so little experience with any of this, she wasn't sure if that was a normal request or whether it was all in her head.

She watched him stand there, and he eventually asked if she wanted to use the shower first.

It seemed like the perfect escape, so she nodded and carefully stepped from the bed.

She'd never felt so self-conscious in her life as she walked naked across the room. Even though Ben had seen every part of her over the last few days, it felt different now they were mated. She wanted him to want her, to like what he saw, to appreciate his mate even though rut and heat were passed. Rey was hyper aware of her small breasts, of the tiny love bites across them, of her swollen nipples that seemed to peek just at the thought of him, and as she walked, her thighs touched, sending a small shock of pleasure into her swollen pussy, where she was so tender from all the fucking, she felt twinges as she walked.

He was watching her now, she saw his eyes roaming all over her as she made her way across the room, to where he stood near the bathroom. His eyes were obsidian dark, the scruff of beard on his face and his dishevelled hair made him look a little dangerous and her breath hitched.

As she stepped past him, he grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him until she was pressed up against him, her nakedness rubbing against his clothes.

He didn't speak as his hands roamed across her flesh, touching her everywhere, across her breasts, his fingers lightly tweaking her sensitive nipples which made her breath jolt, before running down her sides, over the jut of her ribs and down to her waist where they paused.

He was breathing heavily now, his breath hot on her neck, and his hand slowly turned her until her back was to him. Ben's fingers went to her head, lifting her hair gently until her mating gland was exposed to the air, where she felt it throb needily. When his lips touched it, the throbbing soothed, warmth and comfort spreading through her veins.

As he gently sucked, his fingers moved again, down past her waist, over her ass where they stroked her slowly, before sliding between her thighs.

Rey expected him to touch her pussy, to slide into her cunt as he had so many times before, but he didn't. His fingers just gently glided over her mound and stopped before letting her go.

He pressed one last kiss to her gland, gently licking it with his tongue, and released her, so she could carry on to the bathroom.

Rey showered quickly, washing her hair and body with thorough efficiency, trying not to think about any of this, instead just focusing on the thought of going home, of seeing her friends again, and the shoe-box apartment she called home.

When she came out, Ben was holding a bag for her.

"Hux arranged for some things to be brought for us - here's yours." he explained, handing over the small blue duffel. "I'll use the shower and we should be able to go."

He left her, and Rey opened the carryall. There was a note on the top.

"I had some clothes picked up from your apartment. They were terrible so I asked Rose to pick out some new ones. Here you go. Love Hux."

Below it, Rey saw a few sets of lacy and expensive-looking underwear in black, pink and white. Nothing like the sports bra and cotton panties she usually wore. Beneath that she could see some trousers and tops made of pale silk in pastel colors, some strappy sandals and a small wash-bag.

Cursing Hux and Rose, she thought briefly about putting back on her three day old clothes from the office, but she couldn't face it and instead pulled on the new selection, choosing the pink lingerie and the plainest looking outfit. Finally she found some deodorant, mascara and a brush, which she put to use - there was no mirror so she had no idea how she looked.

A few minutes later, Ben emerged from the bathroom, and Rey cursed Hux again. He seemed to have had no problem finding his boss some sensible clothes - dark jeans, and a ribbed shirt which clung to his chest in a way that made her mating gland pulse back to life.

He glanced at her, taking in the new clothes, but his face was devoid of expression again, just like before.

"Ready?" he asked, and just like that the door opened and they were free.


	7. Letting Go

REY

It had been almost surreal, leaving the facility where they had been held, and driving away as if nothing had happened. They travelled for about an hour, in silence, before Rey finally felt her shoulders relaxing and the small shaking of her hands begin to subside.

Ben had switched on some classical music, and Rey let it wash over her as they drove down the freeway, relaxing back into the leather seats of the Mercedes and trying to rest as best she could.

She must have slept finally and when she woke Ben explained that they would be there in an hour, and that his mother was eager to see them.

Rey had so many questions she wanted to ask, about his mother Senator Organa, about his childhood, about how he felt returning home with an Omega mate in tow.

But she didn't ask any of them. She felt at a loss with this new status of being mated and how she should treat him. It had been easier before, when they were slaves to their biology, and she knew that he shared the same drives and desires she did because he showed her with his actions.

Being mated was something new, and she had no idea what to do, or say, or how to behave. Did he feel the same thrum of a continuous connection between them that she did, that invisible string that joined her heart to his that she felt every second they sat together? That constant need to be near him, to look at him, to want to curl up on his lap and just be in the warmth of this arms.

She glanced over at Ben, watching his impassive, handsome face as he navigated through traffic on the freeway, following the sat nav directions to his mother's house. She felt a cold ache in the pit of her stomach when she considered the possibility that he felt nothing at all for her outside of their desperate, rut-induced fucking.

Finally they arrived, passing through high wrought-iron gates and along a long drive before pulling up in front of an imposing white mansion. It was classically styled, with tall pillars across the front and topiary lining the entrance.

Ben parked the car and walked around to open her door. As she stepped out, a small woman rushed out of the front door and enveloped her in a hug, so tightly and assuredly that Rey had no choice but to clasp her back.

"You're here!" she said, continuing to hold her, "I'm so glad you've arrived."

She let Rey go, and she had an opportunity to take a proper look at the person who must be Ben's mother. She wasn't tall, but vitality radiated from her making her seem larger than life. Her brown hair was styled in a french twist, and she was immaculately dressed wearing a blue suit with silver buttons, with warm brown eyes that reminded her of Ben.

"Welcome Rey. I'm very sorry we had to meet this way, but I'm delighted to welcome you to the family. You must be exhausted after your ordeal."

Her phrasing made Rey blush immediately and she studiously looked away from Ben not to meet his gaze.

Another woman had joined them, younger, with an attractive face and light brown hair; Senator Organa motioned her forward.

"My assistant, Kaydel, can show you to your room to freshen up while I chat to my son."

Ben had pulled their bags from the boot, and he handed Rey's to Kaydel before walking to meet his mother. As Rey was shown into the house, she caught their awkward embrace from the corner of her eye.

Kaydel led her through the entrance hall, up a long imposing double staircase to an open landing and a corridor beyond.

She chatted amiably as they walked, giving her a brief history of the house and gardens and Rey was incredibly grateful she didn't have to make small talk.

At the end of the hallway, Leia's assistant welcomed her into a large guest room, with blue flowered wall paper and white linen bedding across the huge double bed. It immediately felt like a peaceful haven.

"Make yourself at home. There's a bathroom through that door in the corner and I've put a few toiletries by the bath but let me know if there's anything else you need." Kaydel said as she put her bag on the nearby ottoman. "The Senator is hoping you'll join her for tea in the Orangery in an hour. Just take the stairs back down and ask anyone for directions."

With a kind smile, she left Rey alone, closing the door with a soft click.

There was a wing-back grey chair overlooking the window, and Rey let herself sit down and relax for a few minutes, taking off her uncomfortable shoes and curling her feet under her. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts and emotions, and she took a few breaths to calm herself again. She took her phone out of her bag and scrolled through a few of the urgent messages from her friends. Finn, Rose and even Poe had left a series of increasingly concerned texts, letting her know they were doing everything they could to secure her release.

Rey read through them all, touched by their determination to help. After a few pages of notes, Rose wrote to let her know that Hux had contacted them to share that she had been released, and to contact her as soon as she wanted to talk or meet up.

For a moment Rey considered calling, but instead sent a brief note to all three to say she was well, and with Senator Organa, and she'd phone when she could. For now though she didn't feel able to talk about things right away. It was a brief text, and she knew it would worry Rose, but it was the best she could manage. Hopefully her friends would understand.

Afterwards, she used the bathroom and brushed her hair, studying her face in the mirror for a few moments. There was something a little off about her reflection and it took her a while to identify what was wrong. Well, not wrong exactly, rather what was different.

Her cheeks were pink, her skin was glowing, her eyes were bright and her hair was thick and curling around her face and she realised it must be some Omega mating effect that the school books had failed to mention. She should enjoy seeing herself look so radiant, but it only heightened her confusion - another piece of her biology that was a mystery to her, and another way she would never be the same again.

She returned to the room, sent a few more texts to Rose and Finn, and then it was time to meet the Senator.

..........................................................................................

The Orangery was on the far side of the house - a large glass conservatory looking out over a wide lawn and to a swimming pool beyond.

Leia was waiting for her at a small ironwork table, and she beckoned her over with a friendly wave as soon as Rey entered the room.

She stood as she approached and gave her another warm hug.

"Thank you for meeting me. I'm sure this has all been rather overwhelming, so I promise we'll just have a nice chat and a cup of tea. Ben gave me strict instructions to not bombard you with questions and information."

The Senator motioned for her to take a seat, and poured her a cup from the china teapot on the table.

"Ben said you preferred your tea black. Will this be too strong?" she asked kindly.

"That looks perfect. Thank you." Rey replied, taking a small sip in confirmation.

Leia started chatting about the gardens, describing the various tress and shrubs that had been planted around them, and then the vegetables and fruits that were in pots around the conservatory.

She spoke rapidly, gesturing with her hands and occasionally standing to point out objects further afield. The Senator didn't seem to expect Rey to join in, just looked at her now and again, and Rey nodded at appropriate moments.

This one sided conversation carried on for a good five minutes whilst Rey sipped her tea, relaxing slowly as she let the words almost wash over her.

"Wonderful." said Leia finally, pausing for breath, "that's the horticultural update done."

She poured them both more tea before continuing.

"I promised Ben I wouldn't ask any questions about you or him or what has happened. He's very protective of you. But I did say to him you might want someone to speak to. You've been thrown in at the deep end with this Alpha and Omega business as I understand, and you might have some questions you need answered. I'd like to help you if I can."

Leia looked at her closely, her brown eyes kind but piercing.

"Are you sure about the path you've chosen?"

A knot had suddenly formed in Rey's throat so she remained silent. Leia must have sensed her reluctance to speak.

"I understand, it must be very confusing and overwhelming. I suspect Ben feels the same way, although he'd never say it to me. I can barely get a sentence out of him at the moment, not that he was ever the most talkative boy anyway." Leia sighed, taking another sip of her drink. "Nevertheless, as his mother I can't help but look out for his best interests. Are you sure about this - dissolving the mating bond - is this what you both want?"

Leia put down the cup and fixed her with her stare. It was clear to Rey that she expected a reply and she thought perhaps it might be good to confide in someone a little.

Rey hesitated, then took a deep breath.

"You're right, it's been so much to process, I think I'm in a state of shock half the time just trying to understand what's happened."

"And Ben said that you had never been with an Alpha before - that all must have been confusing.." Leia prompted

"Yes..." Rey let the word trail away.

"I'm sorry my dear." Leia reached over and took her hand, her eyes sad.

Rey rushed on, "You don't have to worry, Ben was.... he took care of me. I'm very grateful it was him, honestly."

"Still, to go from no relationship to being mated over a couple of days. It's not unheard of - Alpha/Omega biology can be very intense - but even so, I'm sure you would have preferred a very different situation - particularly one without our government mandating your every move." She heard the anger in Leia's voice, "But that bigger fight is for another day. For now, I'm just focused on you and Ben."

She put her cup down.

"So, you both have decided that the only way forward is to put an end to the bond. I can understand that, although I must say you both seem very - how shall I say it - compatible."

"In fact, under different circumstances, if he had bought you home as his mate and my new daughter-in-law, I would have been delighted."

Rey couldn't help but let out a little laugh at that.

"Hell would freeze over before Ben brought me home as his wife!"

The Senator's expression went a little chilly.

"I know Ben can be a little cold sometimes, but he cares deeply inside, he just struggles to express it. He will make someone a very good husband one day and..."

Rey interrupted her, realizing Leia had misunderstood.

"I didn't mean there's anything wrong with Ben, I meant he would never want that with me."

"I see." Leia looked mollified, and then tilted her head in confusion. "What makes you think that? You seem to have all the attributes Ben would value. He's spoken about your work often with me - he's always admired your skill and dedication. And I know a little about what you've overcome - you're clearly a very determined and brave young woman and you'll have empathy for his own struggles and challenges."

They were very kind words, and Rey felt herself flush at the compliments, but Leia seemed to be missing the point.

"Thank you. That's very kind of you to say, but those are the foundation for a great work partnership, not a marriage. You also need to find your partner attractive and I don't think Ben.."

It was Leia's turn to interrupt.

"You are very lovely Rey. Quite beautiful in fact. You'd appeal to any Alpha I'm sure, and from the glow that each of you are giving off, I can't believe the mating wasn't a huge success."

Rey knew she had turned bright red at the words; Leia hesitated briefly, clearly not wishing to embarrass her further.

"It's not my place to interfere, I just want to make sure you are thinking this through before you go ahead with Dr Kalonia. Talk to Ben. Make sure he understands what is in your heart. You may not love him now, but if you could over time, this union might make you both very happy."

As the Senator finished speaking, Rey noticed a figure jogging across the lawn in front of the Orangery. It drew closer and she recognised the tall, broad figure as Ben. He dropped down to a walk, and after a few minutes he arrived, opening the glass double doors and joined them in the Conservatory.

Rey was immediately assailed by his glorious Alpha scent, made even stronger and more potent by the exercise. Her inner Omega instantly responded to the presence of her mate, preening and sending pulses of desire through her body. Ben was wearing jogging bottoms and a tight long sleeve sports shirt, rolled up onto his forearms, showing off every piece of his muscled frame. There was a light sheen of sweat across his forehead and he wiped it away, pushing his long hair out of his eyes as he did so.

It simply wasn't fair that he was so effortlessly attractive, that despite the presence of his mother, she felt an irresistible desire to stand up, walk towards him and run her hands over every inch of his body, begging him to fuck her as she did so.

"Have you finished your talk?" he asked, glancing between them both. "If so, I thought I could take Rey for a tour of the grounds before dinner."

Leia stood up.

"Your timing is perfect. I have a few Resistance tasks I need to attend to before we eat. I'll see you both for dinner at 6.30."

She leaned over to kiss Rey on her cheek.

"Thank you for listening to me my dear. Please think about what I said." and with that she left.

Ben held out his hand to Rey who took it, standing up from the table. She ignored the immediate burst of pleasure her Omega felt at the contact of his hand. It was getting ridiculous, the power of her hormones when he was near, especially as he seemed totally unaffected by her.

The walk through the garden was just what Rey needed after three days locked in the facility. It was lush, green, and intricate, with a new vista or interesting feature every few minutes as they strolled.

Ben hardly spoke, except to occasionally provide a bit of history of the house or gardens. It had been in Leia's family going back many generations, but he seemed oddly disconnected from it.

At one point Rey had observed that it must have been such fun to explore as a boy, but Ben had remained silent, shaking his head without explanation. There was clearly more to his childhood than he was prepared to share in that moment.

Finally, after the sun started to fall and the garden darkened, Ben seemed ready to talk.

"I've heard back from my mother's physician - Dr Kalonia. She's away working on another case, but is flying back overnight and will be with us later tomorrow morning."

Rey must have looked concerned but Ben immediately reassured her.

"I've checked - we will be fine - the Doctor said that as long as we do the procedure tomorrow, there's plenty of time."

As he spoke, it started to gently rain and Ben reached out to take her hand, pulling her under the protection of the leaves of a large oak tree nearby. When he touched her, it happened again, that instant fizz of desire, and this time Rey noticed that Ben was not immune as she had thought. His eyes flashed and she noticed his pupils dilate in the dusk light, his fingers tightening around her wrist.

He didn't let go this time, and tugged a little on her arm to bring her closer to him, and further out of the rain. It was enough for her to be pulled against his body, her breasts touching his chest and the response to the contact throughout her body was so immediate and so strong that she was powerless to resist acting on it.

She pulled her arm free, and buried both her hands in his lush hair, pulling his mouth down towards her until their lips met. Ben groaned when they did, his arms going round her to pull her even more tightly towards him, his hips pressing into her and his mouth opening to ravage hers.

They both struggled against each other, trying to not break the kiss as their tongues met, but also trying to touch as much of their bodies together as possible. Ben's hands roamed her back, moving across her skin, then one slid to her waist before moving up to the lace of her bra and dipping inside until his fingers found her nipple which he gently played with. In return, Rey dipped her hand down to his stomach, tracing the hard muscles, finding him tense and rigid, before her fingers went further, under the waistband of his briefs until she could touch his already swollen cock.

It was all so familiar, the pull of desire, the press of their bodies together, the heat and the overwhelming need to fuck immediately. Their bodies were on auto pilot, the craving instantaneous.

But it was also new, without the heat and rut miasma, as if they were touching each other for the first time.

Then suddenly Ben pulled away.

"Christ Rey." he moaned, his hand pulling itself free from her shirt, and staggering back until he stood a few feet away, "I can't do this. We need to stop before we end up fucking each other against this tree."

Rey felt instantly cold at the loss of his warmth, and simultaneously frustrated as hell. Her Omega was roaring the loss of contact and stimulation.

"Would that be so bad?" she snapped, his rejection stinging her pride.

"Not bad." he looked chastened, "I didn't mean that.... it's just not going to help us work this out. We need clear heads, and to not strengthen this bond before we meet with Dr Kalonia tomorrow."

He tucked his shirt back in his trousers and turned back towards the house, waiting patiently for her to join him. She couldn't bring herself to make small talk as they returned to the house, so instead they walked in silence through the dusk.

She could tell that he wanted to say more as they walked, but she glared at him each time he tried to begin. His rejection stung more than she had expected, it was all she could do to keep the emotions under check, the feeling of thwarted desire and dismissal rolling through her.

When they reached the back door, Rey cried off dinner, asking Ben to pass on her apologies to his mother. She was just to exhausted. 

"We should talk." he said, looking concerned, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings - I'd never want to hurt you, ever." and tried to take her hand again to stop her from leaving.

But it was too much for Rey. She shook her head, pulled away and returned to her room, immediately climbing into the large bed, pulling the covers tightly around herself and falling into an exhausted sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it's a bit sad for poor Rey and Ben but they are going to figure it out soon I promise!


	8. Ending?

Rey

Doctor Kalonia gently released the blood pressure monitor from Ben's arm and sat back in her chair, her face was kind and open.

"Good. Both of you are in great health. This should be quite straightforward. I'll take some blood samples now, analyse them to ensure the right dosage, and then it's only a single injection today, and a follow-up in a month's time."

The Doctor had arrived at the house just after Rey had finished breakfast, and Ben had escorted her to Rey's bedroom so they could have some privacy for the appointment.

Her examination had been quick and efficient, and she was now appraising Rey's neck.

"There is some small cosmetic work I can do on your mating gland, enough so that anyone that meets you will think that you are un-mated, unless they look very closely. Unfortunately I'm not able to return it to the original state, but when you want to be joined your life partner, you can contact me and there are steps we can take."

As she spoke, the doctor removed a pair of small syringes from a bag and placed them on the table next to her.

"One last thing. The drugs work by re-setting your Alpha/Omega chemistry and pheromone markers. It's vital that you don't see each other, at least for the next six months, otherwise there is a high likelihood that your natural chemistry will over-ride the treatment and we will be back at square one."

At her words, Rey felt like a bucket of ice had been poured over her.

"I didn't realise that we would need to stay completely apart...." she stammered. "Can we just keep our distance...."

"I'm afraid not." Kalonia said, reaching out to gently tap Rey's knee reassuringly, 'If you want this to work, unfortunately that's the way it has to be. Are you ready for me to take the samples? It will only take a second."

Rey felt numb as the doctor rolled up her sleeve and found the vein in the crook of her arm to take a small blood sample. It was over quickly, and she watched quietly as Kalonia took another syringe and withdrew a similar amount from Ben.

Ben looked tired and pale, and Rey could barely hear him when he said, "Thank you for all that you are doing for us." as the doctor put the two samples on a tray.

"The analysis will take an hour or so. Why don't you rest and I'll be back shortly."

With that, she left the room, shutting the door gently behind her.

For several minutes they both sat in silence at opposite ends of the sofa.

Rey felt numb. Being separated was the one thing she was not prepared for. She had supposed, naively of course, that they could somehow return to their old life. That they would see each other at First Order, just like before, and that they would even be friends. Perhaps grab lunch together, go for a walk.

Not as a couple, that had never been a realistic dream for Rey, but as companions. Surely two people who had gone through so much together, had shared this experience, had shared the intimacy and vulnerability they had together, would always be in each other's lives?

Instead she was faced with not seeing Ben, of never touching him again, of never having his arms around her, and it felt like a knife to her heart. The pain felt utterly real, like her chest was being torn apart from the inside.

Rey let out a little sob, and she watched as Ben turned to her, facing her now on the sofa, a look of sadness and concern on his face. He put out his hand to touch her, and then slowly pulled it back into his lap.

When he spoke, his voice was low and reassuring.

"I don't want you to worry about this. I've already made plans with First Order. I called the Board this morning to let them know that I would be taking a sabbatical for a year or maybe more,"

Hearing him so concerned about her made the pain in her heart even more intense and he edged a little closer towards her on the sofa, his dark eyes filled with sadness.

"Rey, this will be fine. I know how important your job is to you and I promise nothing is going to change. You can go back, just like before, and you won't have to think about me, or these last few days, ever again."

Her throat was tight, her fingers clasped tightly together, but there was also a little flame of anger too. How was it so easy for him, so easy to leave her, to move on with his life as if these three days had never happened?

None of it had meant anything to him, and it was unbearably painful to realise. Especially when to Rey it felt like her life was ending.

She let the flare of anger grow a little - it felt better than the sorrow - and turned to face him.

"It's so easy for you. Leaving me." She bit out, "Send me back like this never happened. Just carry on as before."

He looked surprised at her tone, a red flash on his pale cheeks.

"No, I don't mean this is easy. I know for an Omega. while the mating bond is alive, this will feel wrong, but as soon as we have the injection, you'll start to feel yourself again." He was talking to her as if he was explaining biology to a child, and it made her want to throw something across the room. Rey let the feelings overtake her.

"Stop talking Ben. Please. I can't do this any more." She stood, her legs shaking, and moved away from the sofa to stand by the large window overlooking the garden. The view of empty fields looked as bleak as she felt, but it helped her calm down a little.

She heard him get up behind her and walk across the room, until she could feel his heat a few feet behind her.

"I'm sorry Rey, truly. Just tell me what I can do to help and I'll do it." Ben said quietly, and she could hear the deep breaths he was taking. All her inner Omega wanted to do was turn round and climb into his arms, feel his warmth all around her, but self preservation was stronger than her biology, and she made herself stand still, not looking at him.

Instead she channelled her anger again.

"Nothing Ben. You don't need to do anything. Let's just wait here until the Doctor returns and we can move on."

It was an agonising wait, ten minutes felt like a hundred, and by the time the door open again Rey was barely holding on to her composure. She couldn't stop crying, and it had taken all her willpower to not make a sound to alert Ben who had returned to the sofa at the other side of the room, and to let the tears flow silently down her face.

Dr Kalonia had put her equipment on the nearby table and took a moment or two to get ready before saying, "Right, all set. Who would like to go first?"

Rey couldn't trust herself to speak, and so kept her back to the room; frustratingly Ben seemed to be patiently waiting for her to choose and remained silent

The Doctor seemed to sense the tension and made the decision for them.

"I suggest we start with the Omega. Come and take a seat again Rey and we can begin, it will only take a minute or two to take effect."

Rey made herself turn around, and both Ben and Dr Kalonia looked at her in shock - she must look truly terrible from the expressions on their faces. Ben jumped up from the couch and strode towards her. He pulled her into his arms, holding her so tightly she could barely breath.

"Christ Rey. Are you all right?" he asked, his lips close to her ear, his hand gently stroking her hair. It was heaven and hell all at once to be held by him for perhaps the last time.

The thought opened the flood gates again, she could feel herself trembling in his arms, wracked with sobs, which made him pull her even closer into his embrace.

"I think we need a few minutes." she heard Ben say, "Can you give us some time? We'll call you when we're ready."

With that, Dr Kalonia silently left the room, leaving them alone.

When he heard the door close, Ben gently lifted her up and carried her over to the sofa. He sat down and held her in his lap, locking her still in his tight embrace.

"What's going on sweetheart? What can I do?"

His voice was filled with concern. He probably doesn't even realise he is calling me sweetheart, Rey thought bitterly, he has no idea what the does to me. The false hope, the stupid wishes, the fantasy of a life together.

What did she want? What could she do? The thoughts were playing over and over again in her mind, and then it came to her with complete clarity.

The only thing she truly wanted was to stay mated to him, forever. 

As the truth hit her, so did the futility of her dream, and oblivious to the turmoil in her mind

Ben was still speaking

"I'll do anything for you." he said, "Just ask me Rey."

She looked at him again, his eyes were dark in his face, concern and confusion writ large on his features. How could she ask him when it was so different to what he wanted, and when he had made it so clear that he only wished to be free?

Rey let her eyes wander over his form that had become so dear to her. Perhaps there was something he would give her before they left?

"Can we be together - one last time - before they separate us?" she asked

He looked confused, uncertain and Rey turned away, disappointment eating into her heart.

"Don't worry, it's fine, I understand. You don't want to."

Ben interrupted her.

"It's not that Rey. Of course I want to make love to you. We're mated and..." he stopped himself, and then paused before continuing "I'm just not sure this would be right for you. It won't be like when you were in heat. You might regret it when the mating bond is dissolved."

"I won't regret it." she said emphatically, "I want to know what it would be like. Without being in Heat or you in Rut. Without being forced to by our biology, and by the government. But I want that only if you want that too."

He seemed torn with confusion.

"I don't think that would be a good idea." he tried again, stroking her arm gently, "Won't that..."

Rey interrupted him.

"Stop trying to protect me Ben. Please."

He seemed to consider it for another moment, before giving in.

"If you're truly sure that's what you want?"

"I am." She stopped herself thinking about it more, wondering whether it was something he truly wanted, or whether he was still trying to do whatever she asked to make up for this mess.

"Come here then." he said, pulling her into his arms, until she was sitting on his lap, her knees either side of his. 

Ben started kissing her neck, his lips nibbling and sucking a trail of pleasure along her skin, finding the bundle of nerves along the side of her throat and sucking until she was panting with desire. He knew her so well now he could arose her in seconds, even without the imperative of Heat.

Then his mouth moved to hers, and his hand gently tugged on her hair until she opened her lips and his tongue swept inside. She kissed him back, revelling in the feeling, and Rey let herself enjoy every moment. It was sending a flash of pleasure down to her breasts and then her cunt, and she moaned at the sensation. Ben seemed to know immediately what she needed, for his hands started to unbutton her blouse as he kissed her, then tugged it off her shoulders, leaving her only in her white lacy bra.

He pulled back from the kiss, his dark eyes glancing at her.

"You're so beautiful Rey. Driving me crazy."

He pulled down on the straps until her small breasts popped free. He didn't bother to remove the bra, instead he lifted her up and put his mouth immediately onto the tip, sucking her nipple into his mouth whilst his other hand gently stroked her other breast. It was divine. Without her heat, every sensation seemed raw, and the warmth of his mouth made her cunt pulse with desire. She arched her back to try and hurry him up, she needed to feel his touch between her legs.

"Patience my darling" he smiled, and changed breasts, playing with her other nipple until she was jerking in his arms.

"Ben, please, I need you inside me now." Rey pleaded. She couldn't understand why he wasn't fucking her like she wanted, why he didn't feel the same urgency. Her hands tried to reach down and touch his cock, but he grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"No Rey. My way." He ordered before saying more gently, "You're not in heat any more, so we need to take things slowly. I'm not even sure this is going to work."

He stroked her breasts for a little while longer before releasing her nipple. His hands moved to between her legs, and his fingers trailing along her thighs until they met the now damp crotch of her panties. He rubbed her through the fabric, touching all the perfect places to make her clench inside, pressing soft and then harder in an insistent rhythm.

It was strange not to feel the gush of slick from her Heat, but she was still embarrassingly wet with desire, Rey could feel it as he moved his fingers around the material.

"Take off your panties, Rey." Ben ordered, his eyes glittering. Rey hastily stood up, reaching under her skirt to pull down her underwear and discarding them hastily. He held out his arms and she climbed back onto the sofa, kneeling in front of him again.

His hands went immediately back to her, straight to her clit, caressing her gently, exploring every inch of her, so slowly that she wanted to scream. The more he touched her, the wetter she became, until she was moaning in frustration. Just as she was about to complain his fingers found her opening. One hand went round to her lower back to hold her still, and with the other he parted her pussy lips and slowly slide a thick finger inside her and gently pushed deep.

He added a second, and fucked her with them, sliding in and out, through her wetness. It felt so different to when she'd been in heat. Without her crazy omega hormones it was so much more intimate, each sensation much more sharp and real.

"Please Ben. Enough. I want to feel you inside me." she begged. It was all she wanted in that moment.

His hand stilled, fingers gently flexing, and he met her eyes.

"I don't want to hurt you Rey. We need some lube before I fuck you."

Was he insane to think they were stopping now? The thought made Rey pant with frustration.

She quickly stood up, freeing herself from his hand, and then moving to kneel in front of him. He was still fully dressed, so she found his zipper and pulled his trousers down until they were round his knees. For a fleeting moment, she wondered why she didn't care that they were both half dressed, her with her skirt hiked up and her breasts sitting above her bra, and him with his pants half way down. Instead, all she wanted was to get his cock in her mouth.

He was already hard, swollen, and she could barely fit him between her lips.

"Fuck Rey. You can't do this. I don't want to get too close, I'll lose control and I want to take care of you." he pleaded when her mouth closed over him.

She wanted that too, so she only gently sucked him, enough that he grew a little more and her lips were stretched tightly around him . Rey pulled her head back and looked at his cock, soaked from her mouth, hopefully enough to make up for the lack of lube.

"Will that do? Please Ben."

He seemed to surrender in that moment.

"You'll be the death of me Rey. Alright, come here." he said, pulling her back to the sofa, his face tight with desire "You're on top. Just take your time."

With that he lay back, one hand holding the base of his cock, his eyes watching her intently.

It was a challenge, and Rey had a second of nervousness as she was reminded of how big he was, and what it had felt like those first few times he had been inside her. Would it work without her being in Heat?

She knelt in front of him, raised up so that her cunt was angled above his cock. Her fingers found the wet head of him and together they helped ease him inside, just the glans, pushing into her tightness with determination.

Of course it was too much, but Rey didn't care. They both looked down, both gasping, as she fed more of him inside, biting down on her lip as she tried to relax and ease his cock deeper.

Ben's hands were on her hips now, pushing and adjusting her, pulling her forward to angle her pelvis more so he could slide further. He was half way in and she was full, stretched so tight she couldn't breath. His fingers moved to her clit, and his touch was perfect, designed to arouse her further, to make her wet enough to take more. It worked, and she slid down him a little . His mouth found her nipple, and the dual sensation of his mouth pulling at her breast, and his fingers on her clit, was enough that she could push through the ache and take him all the way.

When he was fully seated inside her, Rey stopped, sitting on his lap, her eyes fluttered closed. She could feel him so intimately, the head of his cock pressed against her cervix, each breath they took magnified. Her cunt was so stretched and wet around him she was scared to progress.

"You've taken me so well Rey." Ben was stroking her hair, "It's alright if you can't move. We can finish here and I'll make you come with my mouth."

She opened her eyes again at his words, and shook her head. Using her thigh muscles, she pushed up a little, sliding back up along his cock. It felt good, better than she was expecting, especially when he started stroking her clit again slowly, and she was able to gently move, taking her time to work her body up and down on his penis. As long as she was careful, she found she could take all of him, the feeling of him opening her up each time was exquisite agony.

As she moved a little faster, he stroked her clit, whispering 'so good sweetheart' in her ear as she took him. Rey could feel his knot swelling at the base, and it stopped her taking him fully, the hard jut of him stuck outside her body. She was nearly exhausted, and Ben must have sensed it, for he touched her so perfectly with his fingers that she came, hard, squeezing his cock inside her so tightly that they both groaned.

She lent forward, collapsing, and she felt him move his hand down to his knot to stop him trying to slide inside her.

"I want to take your knot." she pleaded, "Please Ben." She sounded desperate to her own ears, but he shook his head sadly, kissing her again on the edge of her lips.

"We can't Rey, we'd need more time, months maybe, to make you ready."

She clenched her walls around him, making Ben groan, and he stroked himself once, and then came, the familiar warmth of his cum bathing her inside.

It felt so wrong not to be knotted together, but he carefully rolled them to their sides on the sofa, and held her tightly, kissing her face and neck until their breathing returned to normal.

After a few minutes she felt him pulling out and he moved her a little so he could pull his trousers back up. Afterwards he adjusted her bra, gently moving her breasts in place and then pulling her skirt back down.

Rey nuzzled a little into his chest, trying not to think about this being their last time.

Instead she let herself imagine them together, Ben coming home from work, finding her in the kitchen and fucking her senseless. Or making love on a lazy Sunday, him teaching her slowly and patiently how to take his cock completely, knot and all.

Of just being his. Forever.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to everyone who read this little story.

BEN

Ben felt her finally relax against his chest, her tiny body almost weightless in his arms.

He instantly regretted going ahead with her request. He had known that it was a terrible idea.

Heat and Rut were about fucking and orgasms and alpha/omega hormones.

What they'd just done had been about making love, of pleasuring each other, of intimacy, of creating memories that would plague him for the rest of his life. Holding her in his arms, as if she was his, pretending for a few moments that he could have a life with her.

Yes, it was a terrible idea.

But as soon as he had seen her face, the tears, he had been helpless to refuse her. Even though he knew it was just her mating bond driving her, that within a few minutes when Dr Kalonia arrived that same bond would be dissolved forever and she would return to treating him with her quiet indifference.

He waited another few moments and then sat up, slowly separating them until he could step away from the sofa. He knelt to pick up her blouse and panties from the floor where they had fallen and handed them to her, then turned his back so she had some privacy to dress. He tried not to look at her pale, beautiful face.

There was a phone in the room and he picked it up, calling his mother's secretary, Connix, who answered with her usual efficiency.

"Can you let Dr Kalonia know we'll be ready in ten minutes?" he instructed before hanging up and standing by the small table.

Rey was dressed now, but she stayed on the sofa. He turned to watch her, letting his eyes take her in, roam over her. It was a guilty pleasure he allowed himself, just this once.

She did not look at him, so he was surprised when she spoke.

"Is that it then?"

Ben wasn't sure what she meant. "Connix said she's having tea with my mother so she'll be a little while." he explained.

"Right. So, she'll come here and give us the injection, and you'll go back to your life. Or your sabbatical."

"Yes. I guess so." He was a bit surprised by her tone. She sounded more bitter than relieved, so he asked "Is everything alright?"'

Rey looked at him, her amber eyes boring in to his, her face a mask of anger.

"God, I wish I was you." she spat, "Kylo Ren or Ben Solo, or whatever your name is, ready to carry on with your life. Go on a sabbatical, save some elephants or the rain-forests or whatever. Spend some time on a beach somewhere and do yoga." Her voice was laced with sarcasm.

She seemed so angry he wasn't even sure where to begin.

"I'm going to join my mother's lobby group for six months." he explained, "I thought it's time to help sort out this designation mess. No beaches or elephants. Just some boring paperwork and writing proposals for Congress."

Rey was quiet for a while until she muttered, "Of course, perfect Ben Solo, moving on to a career in politics while Rey Niima, orphaned programmer, returns to her lonely life of coding."

She said it so softly he barely heard her, but he caught the tone, the anger mixed with sadness.

"What's going on Rey? I don't understand what I've done wrong. I thought you'd be happy that I was leaving First Order, and that you'd be free to get on with your life."

Ben ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, and that seemed to annoy her even more as she swore under her breath and turned away to face the window and he could tell she was crying again by the gentle shaking of her shoulders.

He couldn't bare it, watching her cry. It broke his heart to see his mate in distress, regardless of the fact that she was choosing to leave him, and he was compelled to move towards her once again and put his arms around her.

He wasn't sure that she would let him, but after a few seconds of standing stiff in his embrace, she slowly relaxed and let her head rest on his shoulder, sniffing and hiccuping slightly. Ben slowly stroked the side of her face, brushing the tears away with his thumb.

"You have to tell me what to do Rey. What's wrong and how can I help. I don't understand anymore what to do." he was pleading with her, he could hear his own voice cracking with emotion as he spoke. "I've tried to make this better - arranged for us to be separated - what else can I do?"

She seemed to be gathering strength, for she took a shuddering breath and then pulled away from him until they were standing a few feet apart. He was holding her hand, but she tugged it free with a jerk.

"You don't need to do anything else Ben. You've done everything right, even down to that last pity fuck."

Her words stung but he stayed silent, hoping that she would explain. After a few moments she began talking again.

"I'm sorry. That wasn't fair. I just need to get away from here, away from you."

She took a deep breath and seemed to be gathering herself together before she continued.

"It's just that this is too painful. Some stupid part of me thought that after all this, I could make you want me, for real. Not just because of this cursed designation, but that you'd want me, Rey Niima. All of me, with my crappy childhood and my mixed-up emotions, and my inability to explain myself most of the time, and my just hiding from life."

"And I've finally had to realise that you don't and you never will."

........................................................................................................

Ben was staring at her so intently that when the door opened they both jumped in surprise.

Leia's assistant bustled in, a tray of coffee in hand, before stopping and watching them both as they stood there.

"Am I interrupting something?" she asked, putting the drinks down on the table.

"Yes, you are Connix. Can you just leave us alone?" Ben said, and Rey could hear the annoyance in his voice. He was still focused on her face, his eyes not leaving her to look at the new arrival.

"I see nothing's changed with your sunny personality Ben," Connix said, bending down to rearrange the cups on the tray, "A thank you would be nice."

"Please Kaydel, just this once, can you fuck off?" he pleaded, "I need to talk to Rey."

"All right, all right, lover boy." she said, giving Rey a little wave as she left, shutting the door behind her, and leaving them both in silence.

Rey couldn't look away from Ben, his gaze was mesmerising, but she was tortured remembering the words she had just said. Laying her heart out for him to trample. She couldn't bring herself to speak, so just let the quiet fill the room.

Eventually Ben spoke. "Did you mean it? What you just said?"

"About the pity fuck? Yes. You did a very good job of pretending. It was an impressive performance."

"You know that's not what I mean Rey. I mean the other part. The part where you said you want me."

Rey felt the blush creeping back up her cheeks. She knew it was ridiculous to be embarrassed given all that they'd done together, but somehow this emotional honesty was the hardest of all. But she was no coward, so she made herself answer.

"Yes. Of course I do Ben. Please don't pretend that you didn't know."

Ben took a few steps towards her, until there was only a few feet between them.

"I didn't know." He said quietly, taking a deep breath and held out his hand to her.

"Please." Ben said softly.

She hesitated a minute before putting out her own hand. He pulled it into his grasp, his huge fingers circling hers, slowly stroking her palm.

"I know it feels real, sweetheart, but it's the mating bond." his eyes were sad as he looked at her,

"You think you want me, I'm sure it feels that way, but it isn't true. Once they've given us the injection you will go back to the way you felt before, before we made love and were mated."

He said it with such care, it made her heart stop beating in her chest.

"And so will you?" Rey asked, watching his face, ""Anything you've ever felt for me will just go away, back to how it used to be?"

Ben held her hand a little tighter and shook his head.

"I think it will be different for me." he said, "But I always knew it would be. I've had plenty of time to get my head around that." He had a little quirk on his perfect lips that made Rey want to kiss it away.

She tried to ignore the impulse as the door opened again and Dr Kalonia returned, and with her the shooting pain in Rey's chest.

The Doctor greeted them both and busied herself with her equipment, setting out two vials, syringes and cotton wool balls on the table as Rey and Ben stood there, watching her.

Rey knew it was their last few minutes as mates and she could feel the dread of separation running down her spine. And she couldn't stop running his last few words over and over again in her mind.

"Why is it different for you Ben?" Rey demanded, trying to understand.

He looked at her kindly, and ran his thumb over her knuckles.

"Because this will just remove the mating bond. And when it's done, I'll feel exactly the way I did before." he explained.

Rey wanted to ask more but the doctor was ready for them. 

"Alright, let's try this again. Shall we begin with Ben this time?" she motioned towards the chair and Ben reluctantly let her hand go before taking a seat.

Rey could feel panic starting to overwhelm her. She desperately needed to know for certain what he truly felt.

"And how did you feel before?" she asked, her voice tight, walking over to stand facing him.

Ben was slowly rolling up his sleeve until Rey could see the skin of his shoulder, his gorgeous muscles flexing. He seemed to think about his reply carefully before answering, his tone was one of surrender.

"I was in love with you way before all of this. I loved you back in First Order, so that's the way I'll stay, bond or no bond."

Rey's heart stopped. Doctor Kalonia was moving towards Ben, equipment in hand, and she had to stop herself from rushing towards the kind woman and pushing her to the ground.

Instead she cried out, "Stop. Don't do it. Please." the last word was said desperately.

Kalonia halted in her tracks, and Ben looked at Rey in shock, but she was already rushing forward, her knees hitting the ground as she knelt before him, her hair flying about her face.

"Explain. I don't understand." she ordered, her courage returning as she put her hands on his knees and lent towards him, her face inches from his.

Ben hesitated, and turned to the Doctor who was standing patiently waiting, a look of confusion on her face.

"Would you mind giving us a few minutes? I promise this is the last time." he said apologetically. The doctor gave him a small smile as she placed the syringe back on the tray and left the room.

Finally they were alone again.

Turning back to her, he placed his hands over hers, and took a deep breath.

"I loved you, before all of this, almost from our very first meeting, when you interviewed for a job, and I was a cold ass-hole. I think it started then, when you handed me your resume and dared me not to hire you."

Rey's mind whirred in confusion. "But you never said anything?"

"I thought you were already mated from your scent. A Mated Omega. So, I knew there wasn't any point in wanting you. It was hard to stop though, however hard I tried."

"So you liked me, at First Order?"

"Liked you, no." He smiled a little at her expression, and then explained, "More like I was fascinated by you, impressed by you and..." he hesitated.

"Go on." Rey ordered, her grip on his knees tightening.

"I spent most of the time overcome with a desire to fuck you. Just walking in a room that you were in, or seeing you in the canteen, or just getting a hint of your scent in the elevator drove me crazy."

"And then eventually I realised that I was actually hopelessly in love with you."

Rey let the words sink in and then lent towards him, letting her fingers comb through his gorgeous hair and then gently pulled him a little towards her. She could feel herself trembling, but didn't care. Ben saying those words had turned her world upside down.

She felt Ben hesitate for a moment, but he moved also, close enough that Rey could finally kiss him, and the feel of his lips was so right and so real it took her breath away. She pulled back long enough to whisper.

"That makes two of us."

before leaning in again and putting her mouth on his, harder this time, to try and send an absolute clear message that whatever he felt, she felt it too.

Ben seem to relax into the kiss, moving his mouth over hers, hands pulling her up to sit her back on his lap until she was so tight in his embrace that she could barely breath. He was kissing her urgently, like his life depended on it, and his hands were roaming over her frantically, as if she was going to escape from his arms any moment.

Eventually he moaned in frustration, and pulled away.

"I'm an idiot for even speaking, I should just hold you here for as long as I can until that fucking Doctor knocks on the door again. But I have to ask - because she seems to be the most persistent Doctor in the universe - do you still want to go ahead and have our bond dissolved?"

Rey smiled, taking his hand again.

"No. I've got everything I could ever want, right here. I don't want anyone to take that away."

Ben let out a sigh and started kissing her along her neck, causing flashes of desire running through her body, before frustratingly pausing again.

"And you're sure that it's not just the mating bond making you feel this way?" his voice was hesitant, with the edge of sadness from before, "Again, I'm an idiot for asking, I should just keep you here forever and thank my lucky stars.... but I know I'd always worry that you were trapped with me because of your designation."

Rey pulled back, and took his face in her hands so that he met her eyes.

"I can't say it was as soon as when we first met. But not long afterwards, I spent most nights in my bed wondering why the only Alpha I'd ever wanted didn't want me back. And even though I was taking the strongest blockers known to man, I spent the rest of the time imagining what it would be like to be with you."

"So no, it's not the mating bond. It's all you."

Ben smiled at her, the look of relief and happiness on his face was wonderful.

He kissed her again before picking up the phone beside them.

"I'd better call Connix then, before my mother sends in a search party."

Rey kept her arms locked in his as Ben called. He barely spoke, but Rey could hear the other woman's rapid-fire voice on the other end, but couldn't make out the words.

Ben put down the phone, beaming.

"I think they all figured it out before we did. Connix sent the doctor home already and said she and my mother will see us tomorrow or whenever we are ready."

Ben gently stroked her face, fingers lovingly tracing the outline of her features, thumb caressing her lip.

"So, is this it Rey? Will you be mine? Forever?"

She nodded, and his lips found hers.


End file.
